By Kudra Maliro
A spate of crocodile attacks in the waters of Lake Edouard in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is prompting the authorities to opt on erecting metal cages on beaches commonly used by local residents.
Ten people have died in the attacks over the past three months in Kyavinyonge, in Beni territory in North Kivu region.
"We have documented around 10 people killed by crocodiles since November 2023. Most of those killed were illegal fishermen," Jérémie Tsororo, a freelance journalist based in Kyavinyonge told TRT Afrika.
He said the latest attack happened over the weekend and involved a fisherman.
Metal cages
Although rare, incidents of attacks involving people fetching water or washing clothes in the lake have also been reported.
The spokesman for the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) in North Kivu, Bienvenue Bwende, said metal cages will be erected in heavily frequented beaches to ward off the crocodiles.
Lake Edouard is one of Africa's Great Lakes. It lies in the Great Rift Valley, on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo (which has 71% of its surface area) and Uganda (29%).
It's located within the Virunga National Park in Congo and the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.
Water projects
Fishing is an important activity for the local population.
The ICCN says it is planning to drill water projects in the surrounding residential areas to reduce the number of children walking to the lake in search of water.
"Finally, it has to be said that the issue of the proliferation of crocodiles in Lake Edouard is taken seriously by the ICCN," emphasized Bienvenue Bwende.
Fishing regulations
Bwende went on to say that "it is true that incidents have been recorded of people being injured or killed by crocodiles around Lake Edouard, most of the victims of these incidents being people who engage in illegal fishing, often in areas where fishing is prohibited".
"While deploring these incidents, ICCN has called on fishermen to respect the fishing regulations on Lake Edouard, which are the only guarantee of their safety," concluded Bwende.
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