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Communities want UPDF maintained on waters
What you need to know:
- Some of the practices the government wants to criminalise in the new law include the use of explosives, poison, undersize nets, illegal fishing gears, pollution of water, and illegal movement of fish products.
A fish farmers’ group has told Parliament’s Agriculture Committee that the presence of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on the country’s major water bodies is useful.
The group under the umbrella body, Lake Edward, George and Kazinga Channel Association Fishers, asked that the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2021 does not stop the UPDF from playing a peacekeeping role on the waters.
The group’s chairperson, Mr Stephen Katesigwa, said the UPDF’s removal would expose them to persons engaged in illegal fishing. He added that such elements allegedly use guns to terrorise them before making away with their fish and fishing tools.
Mr Kiiza Kagoro Isimbwa, a member of the association, alleged that the illegal fishing methods and attacks on the communities are mainly done by the persons from the neighbouring DR Congo.
“Let the UPDF continue with enforcing the law [or] put some good laws that they shouldn’t torture people…I have realised there is some misinformation to MPs because the people fooling you are the very culprits who are destroying the lakes,” Mr Kagoro said.
Mr Maxwel Akora, the MP for Maruzi County, had earlier faulted the UPDF officers for being rough and harsh when engaging fishermen on the water bodies. He recommended that “if there is insecurity on Lake Edward…let them [UPDF] focus on security.”
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2021 was recently re-tabled in the House and among the sticking points are proposed deterrent measures to persons found guilty of engaging in illegal fishing.
Some of the practices the government wants to criminalise in the new law include the use of explosives, poison, undersize nets, illegal fishing gears, pollution of water, and illegal movement of fish products.
