Illegal fishnets killing L. Victoria, local firms

Apr 18, 2013

For the trend of reducing fish stocks in Lake Victoria to be reversed, consistent monitoring and enforcement of proper fishing gear should be undertaken. According to 2011 data, the fishing sector is Uganda’s second highest foreign exchange earner at $136m.


Lake Victoria is under threat and the very people the natural resource is supposed to serve are the ones threatening its existence. Until World Environment Day, June 5, in a campaign Save Lake Victoria, Vision Group media platforms will run investigative articles, programmes and commentaries highlighting the irresponsible human activities threatening the world’s second largest fresh water lake

By WATUWA TIMBITI


For the trend of reducing fish stocks in Lake Victoria to be reversed, consistent monitoring and enforcement of proper fishing gear should be undertaken. According to 2011 data, the fishing sector is Uganda’s second highest foreign exchange earner at $136m.

Unfortunately, the much needed sustainability of the fish sector and subsequent increase in revenue might remain a dream because of the increasing influx of illegal fishing nets. Dr. Maggie Kigozi, an advocacy expert for the right investment for fishnet manufacturing in Uganda, said use of illegal fishing gear is on the rise.

“A policy of ‘zero tolerance’ for illegal fishing was adopted and a directive from the council of ministers required that 50% of illegalities be removed by June 2009 and 100% by December 2009,” Kigozi said. “Uganda is the only country in the region with increasing illegal fishing.”

Dison Lugemwa, the Uganda Fishnet Manufacturers (UFML) sales manager, said the inflow of illegal nets, which is largely a result of loopholes in law enforcement agencies, has fuelled an unlevelled ground in the fishnets market.

Sh2b lost annually
UFML’s shaky stand in the market does not only pose a loss of revenue to the Government, but also jobs for Ugandans. The company paid sh200m in taxes to the Government in 2011 and employs hundreds of people.

Oscar Ankunda, the project manager of Industrial Promotion Services, the owners of UFML, says the demand for fishnets in Uganda is estimated at about one million annually. “The monthly capacity of the UFML plant is 600,000 nets, but the plant is operating at about 50% due to illegal fishing nets,” he notes.

Because of producing below capacity, the company has suffered revenue losses. “We lose an average of sh2b annually due to illegal nets. We are also worried that the continued use of illegal nets will lead to the exhaustion of fish stocks,” he says.

“We are already seeing this in the closure of fi sh processing factories and the reduction of the fi sh exports to the European Union. Locally, the price of fish has gone up.”

Why the continued inflow of illegal nets
Lugemwa says there is high demand for illegal nets. He notes that although fishermen get a lot of fish with such nets, they also scoop immature fi sh, depleting the resource.

“The law does not allow us to make nets below four inches. For this reason, the smugglers have an advantage over us,” he notes.

“Most law enforcement officers do not know what an illegal net looks like. They should work with us to catch the culprits.” But Kigozi attributes UFML’s market woes to an unfair tax regime.

The East African Community harmonized system for common external tariffs (CET) is set at 0% for raw materials, 10% for intermediate products and 25% for finished products. Kigozi says the tariff system aims at enabling domestic industries compete favorably in the regional market against imported products, and adds that, therefore, imported nets should have a high tax.

Woven fabrics of synthetic materials, where fishnets fall, should be taxed 25%. “But unfortunately, two items were differentiated. Ready made fishing nets are taxed 10%, fruit tree and seed bed netting 10%. This means the CET for fishnets is 0% for yarn (raw material), 0% for twine (intermediate product) and 10% for fishnets (finished product),” Kigozi observes, adding:

“Ideally, importation taxes should be revised to 0% for yarn, 10% for twine and 25% for finished fishnets.” Kigozi notes that the unlevelled tax regime has negatively affected UFML’s growth against imported illegal nets. She adds that there is no harmonized communication and cooperation among the fisheries bodies such as the directorate of fisheries resources, the local government fisheries officers and the beach management units.

Kigozi says the failure of the Uganda Bureau of Standards to set strict standardsfor fish nets has also led to the high number of illegal nets on Ugandan waters.

Lake Victoria nets must not be less than five inches

UFML production manager Paul Munyagwa says the recommended material for fishnets is nylon and it lasts about 12 months. “Many illegal nets are made out of polyester, which lasts about six months. Once dumped, polyester is environmentally hostile and does not easily decompose,” he warns.

Munyagwa explains that a standard net should be 26m in width, 90m in length and the mesh size (holes) should not be less than five inches for Lake Victoria and not less than four inches for other lakes.

The mesh size can go up to 12 inches depending on the fish intended to be caught. “Some fishermen prefer twice or three times the standard net. So, depending on the order, we can make fishnets of 52m width and 180m length. However, the size of the holes is not changed,” he notes.

After weaving, the nets are checked to ensure they meet the standards specified in the Fish Rules, 2010. According to the rules, a person shall not fish in the waters of Albert Nile and Albert, Nakivali and Kijanebalola lakes with gill nets, which if stretched, the meshes measure less than four inches or 103mm. Others are lakes Kachera and all minor lakes and rivers.

For lakes Edward, George, Kazinga Channel and Wamala, the fishnets used should not be less than four-and-a-half inches or 115mm.

Nets less than five inches or 127mm are prohibited on lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Bisina, Kwania, Nabugabo and Mburo for any species of fish, except the Nile Perch. The rules, among other prohibitions, state that the manufacture, sale and importation of fishnets the length of which when stretched is greater than 100 yards or the depth of which is greater than 30 metres is illegal.

After checking for faults, Munyagwa says the nets are put in crates and taken for hankering, a process that reinforces them against entangling. “It is after hankering that the nets are taken for dying depending on the customers’ interest.

Customers make colour choices depending on the environment of the fishing area or with an aim of differentiating their nets from others. After dying, the nets are packaged and labeled with specifications, especially the mesh size,” he explains.

Liberalisation not good for fishing
Unlike in the service sector where liberalization has worked positively, Kigozi says the policy cannot work when it comes to a natural resource such as Lake Victoria. She says fishing should not be for everyone who has a boat, and should be controlled and regulated through licensing, issuance of permits and enforcement of penalties.

She advises that nets that do not meet the required mesh size should be put on the banned list. “What is happening now is that when someone is caught with wrong nets or immature fish, no prosecution is done except burning the fish and nets and the culprit walks off to buy another set of nets,” she observes.

She says although a comprehensive policy on fishing exists, it is not seriously enforced. Kigozi adds that the Fisheries Bill, which was updated five years ago, needs to be passed urgently and a fisheries authority instituted.

Kigozi notes that fish can be an everlasting natural resource, much more valuable than oil, a finite natural resource, Ugandans are fussing over. “Given a chance, the dwindling fish numbers can be reversed. For instance, the Nile Perch lays six million eggs every six months.”

Do you have any views on how to save Lake Victoria? Write to the Features Editor, P.O Box 9815, Kampala, or email:
features@newvision.co.ug or call 0312337000

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