Fish dealers cry foul as FPU confiscates 700kg immature fish
Jan 08, 2024
"We requested them to pardon and sensitise us but they refused. Now I'm stranded," Kabbyanga said.
Stranded fish traders in Rwimi market after FPU confiscating their fish. (Photos by samuel Amanyire)
Samuel Amanyire
Journalist @New Vision
_______________________________ Confisicated immature fish being loaded on a vehicle
Bunyangabu district fish dealers are crying foul after the army Fisheries Protection Unit confiscated and burnt what it said was immature fish, which they were found selling.
The traders made their displeasure known on Sunday at Rwimi Market in Rwimi town council during a massive FPU operation against the sale of immature fish in the same market. During the operation, the operatives confiscated all the immature fish. Immature fish is said to be below 20 inches long.
FPU is responsible for safeguarding and regulating fisheries and marine resources. The unit is supposed to prevent illegal fishing activities, enforce fishing regulations, and ensure sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.
Having lost immature fish weighing close to 700 kg altogether, the fish dealers said they used loan money to purchase the fish and now fear they will lose their property to the banks over failure to pay back the loans.
Margret Kabbyanga, a fish trader, said they confiscated her 2 and a half bags of fish worth sh4.7m, whose purchase was from a commercial bank loan.
"We requested them to pardon and sensitise us but they refused. Now I'm stranded," Kabbyanga said.
Betty Mugisa, 38, a mother of five, said she and other colleagues bought the fish without the knowledge that it was immature: "Honestly, we couldn't tell whether it was immature or not because we found it on the market".
FPU blamed
The fish traders and residents blamed FPU for not fighting the vice of immature fishing, while at the different landing sites only to come and disrupt the business community who have no idea what the recommendable fish size would be to deal in.
Elinest Mujobi, another resident, said FPU should ideally confiscate immature fish at the landing site: "After all fish which is already in the market can never be taken back into the waters since it's already dead".
"I blame FPU personnel along the highway for being corrupt. They receive some small money from the transporters, allow them to pass but again come in the market to bother traders." William Kagoro, a resident of Rwimi, said.
FPU speaks out
FPU's Lt. Moris Tibamanya, who is in charge of the Kasese-Fort Portal highway urged the fish trader and residents to collectively work together with different authorities to fight the vice of illegal fishing.
"The revenue generated from fish is crucial for the development of the whole country," he said.
He added that as far as the law requires, they are to burn the confiscated immature fish to discourage anyone who would wish to indulge in its trade.
George William Rwabuhesi, the fisheries officer of Bunyangabu, said they have never officially registered any fish trader, which makes sensitisation on the proper fishing practices hard.
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