Soldiers attached to the UPDF fisheries protection unit – FPU have destroyed illegal fishing nets in Buyende district.
Capt. Favorite Rugumayo, the FPU commandant in Buyende district says that 10,614 illegal boats commonly referred to as “bao tatu,” have also been captured within the last two months.
While leading a group of soldiers in destroying illegal nets at Bukungu landing site on Friday, Capt. Rugumayo says they confiscate an average of 250 nets daily. He however says the suspects abandon the illegal gears and flee before arrest.
He says they have so far destroyed 17,947 illegal fishing nets for the past two months of their deployment along lake Kyoga in Buyende district.
Capt. Rugumayo says that most of the fishermen have failed to appreciate the fact that the lake is on fishing holiday and must be given time so that the fishermen can caught mature fish.
21-02-2020 RUGUMAYO
However, led by their chairperson, Yokanah Wanzige, fishermen in Buyende have demanded that the soldiers should allow those with rightful fishing gears to access the lake as they will help them in tracking down suspects who abuse the set laws governing the lake.
Wanzige notes that financially able fishermen can purchase recommended fishing gears and employ the idle youthful population which has since resorted to petty theft as a means of survival.
