Fisheries Directorate inspector, Innocent Mugabi revealed on Friday they had recovered a total of 510 bales of illegal monofilament nets from a store in Jinja district.
Mugabi said the Directorate through heightened operations with the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) was able to track and impound over 40,000 nets.
This was during the destruction of the recovered illegal items at Bugonga landing site in Entebbe Municipality.
“Our pursuit for those involved in this malpractice will not cease, we have been able to bring thousands to book already, many are still serving sentences in different prisons across the country,” he stated.
Hefurthermorerevealed they were able to secure a court order from Entebbe Magistrates Court permitting them to destroy the contraband.
According to FPU legal officer, Nasser Drago endeavors to nab the owner of the store, a one Hajji Ssekitoleko are underway.
“We continue to pursue Hajji Ssekitoleko and other culprits who are still at large, but we are not going to relent until we apprehend them.” Drago stated
FPU spokesperson, Deogratious Ssentiba on a similar noted appealed to fishermen and people involved in related businesses to desist from use and sale of illegal gear.
The latest exercise comes a week after FPU destroyed immature fish which were impounded from two men in areas of Busega.
The President directed the deployment of Uganda Peoples Defense Forces -UPDF soldiers on all the lakes in the country to combat illegal fishing practices to protect the fish resources that were under threat of depletion in 2017.
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