10 arrested over using illegal fishing gear

The Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) on Lake Victoria has arrested 10 fishermen over engaging in illegal fishing.

The illegal gear, which was worth millions of shillings, was destroyed.

This was during a one-week operation carried out on the waters between Jinja, Buikwe and Mayuge districts headed by the FPU commander, Capt. Ronald Akandwanaho.

Akandwanaho said the suspects were arrested from various areas such as Rippon Landing Site as well as Kisima I &II in Jinja district.

Speaking on Saturday at Rippon Landing Site in Jinja town, Akandwanaho said others were arrested with immature fish and illegal gear crossing from Kalega in Buvuma district to Ntinkalu in Buikwe.

He added that more were arrested from Namoni heading to Kaza in Mayuge district. Akandwanaho said the suspects had formed a communication chain and they would inform others to escape with the illegal gear and immature fish.

"Once you set off for operations in the lake, they keep communicating to one another but we have also improvised more skills in tracking them down," he noted.

Akandwanaho attributed the increasing cases of illegal fishing on the lake to the current political situation.

He said once people are arrested, they are redeemed by politicians from custody because they are their supporters.

"We had earlier succeeded in fighting illegal fishing because even the fish stocks had increased.

However, due to the current political situation, the vice has resumed," Akandwanaho said.

He said all the suspects were handed over to Mayuge Police to record statements, while the illegal gear, which included monofilament nets, under-size hooks, beach sirens, buckets and small boats, were destroyed at Rippon Landing Site in Jinja.

Musa Dhikosoka, who works with the FPU at Namugongo Landing Site in Mayuge district, said the impounded immature fish, which was over two tonnes and mainly Nile perch, was distributed to the communities.

Dhikosoka said the small boats were destroyed and the timber was given to school management committees in Mayuge to put up structures in schools.

Tabitha Kawooma, a fishmonger at Rippon Landing Site, said the Government should consider fishing communities to benefit from empowerment programmes such as the National Agricultural Advisory Services and Operation Wealth Creation.