Commercial fishing enriches Kiyindi youth

By Robert KanusuThe scriptures read that “man shall eat from his sweat.” Some people have interpreted this to be man’s punishment when he disobeyed God in Eden. But here is a whole youth community that has embraced this Biblical decree and in the end have liberated themselves from the grinding poverty afflicting many in their age group.Young men of Kiyindi fish landing site in Mukono District are working hard to improve their welfare and at the same time contributing to national revenue.They have answered President Yoweri Museveni’s call of kulembeka (literally meaning tapping resources) by abandoning subsistence fishing for lucrative commercial fishing for export.“Fishing had failed to improve our standard of living until these (fish) companies came to start exporting the produce,” Juma Muzamusa said with enthusiasm. By so doing, they have not only provided themselves with a permanent solution to poverty and unemployment, but have also contributed highly to the increase in foreign exchange.As has been said many times by the Government, the fish industry has boosted the economy in terms of exports and also helped to create job opportunities in addition to luring investors to tap the profits in the this business.Currently, the African Development Bank has promised to upgrade the landing site with a sh1billion grant to help the area increase its production capacity.Juma Muzamusa, the chairman of the marketing committee, and the Fisheries Department officer at Kiyindi, Perusi Logose, said that over 600 youth are directly involved in commercial fishing.Logose also said that the booming fish industry had also increased other businesses in the area with 400-600 people visiting the fishing village on market days either to buy fish or relax after the heavy work on the lake throughout the day.“We had problems with marketing our fish, but currently, our market attracts traders from as far as Congo, Arua, Rwanda and Sudan, which shows that there is business potential in this area if it is well developed,” Muzamusa said. You could instantly see the vibrancy at Kiyindi landing site. Likewise, many international fish companies have joined the competition for export including Hwang Sung, Uganda Fish Packers, Ngege Fish Factory and Marines Jinja. The ready market and high demand has affected the price positively, forcing the able young men to spend nights on the lake to tap the abundant dollars.Muzamusa told me that a kilo of fresh fish is sold at sh2,000, raising from sh800 last year, which he said was a good deal for the fishermen.This landing site is also the major commercial trading centre for the remote Lake Victoria lslands. So, fishermen from as far as Buvuma Islands and Jagusi, including the neighbouring fishing villages of Senyi and Katosi, do their shopping here.“Time is money,” is a very common phrase used by the fishermen during the rush hours of the day. Even when I approached them, down the market centre, two young men with pole packed with fish passed, dispelling the lazy people who blocked their path with insults.The booming business with high demand for the product has caused the establishment of a boat workshop to add to the existing 25 commercial boats in operation.And it is expected that the African Development Bank grant would enable them to get a modern workshop for building and repairing them.Currently, their production is 12 tones of fish daily and normally payments are made in cash with minimal credit.A clear manifestation of the cash flow in the local markets is at the shade located opposite the international market for whole sale. This is where the retail traders strike deals and families buy fish for domestic consumption.Here, perfect auctioning takes place and the auctioneer lifts up a bundle (locally known as mugetto) of fish, then the buyers determine the price. It was this kind of business trend that has led to the revival of the famous Kiyindi-Buvuma ferry to ease transport.There much to see at this famous fish landing site among the residents who used to suffer from poverty a few years ago before the introduction of commercial fishing. Women are equally active and compete with men, which reminds me of the improved government policy on gender balance.ends