South Island Trust

The South Island National Park consists of a beautiful semi-arid to arid island located towards the southern end of Lake Turkana. It measures approximately 12 x 4.5 km, plus a further 2km stretch of water around it within the National Park. In the past it was abounded with fish, but are now desperately in need of protection and management from indiscriminate poaching, over fishing, netting and long lining. The bays of South Island National Park with extensive submerged beds of Potamogeton pectinatus, are the most important breeding grounds for the fish, for which Lake Turkana is also famous, but these spawning grounds are also being over-used and destroyed.

The area is a crucial flyway for migrating bird species and South Island National Park is designated as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International.

Since it’s inception as a National Reserve approximately 55 years ago and a National Park more recently, South Island has lain idle with the exception of seasonal now more permanent poachers. With no control of these fishermen the fish spawning grounds are being destroyed.

The purpose of South Island Trust (SIT), to take over, fund and run the South Island National Park in conjunction with the KWS and involving the Local Communities, who would benefit greatly from an enterprise of this nature. This type of public private partnership would enhance development for Kenya as a whole, which relies so greatly on tourism, wildlife, community support and conservation and the KWS would gain the benefit of its involvement with developing a once completely unproductive national reserve into a productive enterprise at minimal cost to itself.