The Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) on Monday set ablaze fishing nets, among other illegal fishing gear worth millions of shillings. The destroyed gear was impounded during recent operations by the Unit.
The illegal fishing gear was burnt from areas of Bugonga landing site, Entebbe municipality after the army unit secured a court order permitting them to burn the nets. Her Worship Naume Sikhoya, the Entebbe grade one magistrate presided over the burning of the illegal fishing gear.
FPU under the command of Lt. Col. Dick Kaija had requested the court to order the burning of illegal monofilaments, and hooks among other fishing gear which was impounded from different parts of Uganda.
According to Lt. Col. Kaija, the culprits fled away during the UPDF operation, leaving the fishing gear behind. He, however, noted that a few of those who had been arrested, were arraigned at Buganda road court and remanded to prison.
“Operations were made on land and water, especially in areas of Mbale, Jinja, Kampala, and Entebbe,” noted Lt. Col. Kaija adding that one person has so far been penalized shs4m by the Buganda road court. Meanwhile, the FPU commander intimated that more consignments belonging to one Mubarak Buyinza and others, are still in custody pending a court order to dispose ofthemf. Sarah Ddungu-Ibare, the chairperson forthe Bugonga cell lauded the gesture, saying it will go a long way in communicating to all persons engaged in illegal fishing.
In 2017, President, Yoweri Museveni announced a nationwide ban on fishing activities on Ugandan water bodies to replenish the dwindling fish stocks resulting from illegal practices. It followed a huge drop in Uganda’s fish export earnings because of dwindling stock, which forced several fish processing plants to close.
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