East Africa to clean Lake Victoria
THE three East African countries that share Lake Victoria have embarked on joint efforts to raise sh3.8b to clean the lake.
By Jeff Lule
THE three East African countries that share Lake Victoria have embarked on joint efforts to raise sh3.8b to clean the lake.
The director of animal husbandry in the agriculture ministry, Dr William Olaho-Mukani, said the move was agreed on by a council of ministers of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation in November last year.
“The three countries agreed to each contribute about sh120m for the clean-up exercise. The exercise will be carried out for 14 days,†Mukani said.
Only Tanzania had fulfiled the pledge. Uganda and Kenya are still raising funds, he noted.
Mukani revealed this on Tuesday at a one-day workshop held at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
The workshop was aimed at bringing on board all those in leadership positions to help in the fight against illegal fishing and trade on Lake Victoria.
The two-week exercise, Mukani said, would involve sensitisation drives among local communities, burning of illegal fishing gear, removing the weed from the lake and protecting the water from contamination.
The animal husbandry state minister, Aggrey Bagiire, said there was need to eradicate irregularities in fishing to rejuvenate the lake.
“The fisheries sector plays a vital role in the economic growth of this country.
"It contributes to food security and employment and fish is one of the major exports, contributing 18% of the country’s total export income,†he said.
Bagiire noted that most of the immature fish is exported to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He appealed to district leaders to impound vehicles caught transporting immature fish in their respective areas.
Similar workshops are to be held in Kenya and Tanzania on March 24 and 26, respectively.
THE three East African countries that share Lake Victoria have embarked on joint efforts to raise sh3.8b to clean the lake.
The director of animal husbandry in the agriculture ministry, Dr William Olaho-Mukani, said the move was agreed on by a council of ministers of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation in November last year.
“The three countries agreed to each contribute about sh120m for the clean-up exercise. The exercise will be carried out for 14 days,†Mukani said.
Only Tanzania had fulfiled the pledge. Uganda and Kenya are still raising funds, he noted.
Mukani revealed this on Tuesday at a one-day workshop held at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
The workshop was aimed at bringing on board all those in leadership positions to help in the fight against illegal fishing and trade on Lake Victoria.
The two-week exercise, Mukani said, would involve sensitisation drives among local communities, burning of illegal fishing gear, removing the weed from the lake and protecting the water from contamination.
The animal husbandry state minister, Aggrey Bagiire, said there was need to eradicate irregularities in fishing to rejuvenate the lake.
“The fisheries sector plays a vital role in the economic growth of this country.
"It contributes to food security and employment and fish is one of the major exports, contributing 18% of the country’s total export income,†he said.
Bagiire noted that most of the immature fish is exported to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He appealed to district leaders to impound vehicles caught transporting immature fish in their respective areas.
Similar workshops are to be held in Kenya and Tanzania on March 24 and 26, respectively.