Fish project divides Kabarole councillors

KABAROLE.

Controversy surrounds a fish project meant to restock crater lakes in Kabarole District. The district is endowed with 56 crater lakes and residents carry out non-commercial fishing activities in the lakes.

As a way of increasing fish production and conserving natural resources, Ferdsult engineering company in partnership with Kabarole District has started restocking fish in minor crater lakes. This follows an agreement signed in May 2015 between the engineering company and the district council to restock 20 crater lakes. The company has so far covered lakes Saka, Mwamba and Kifuruka, which it restocked with 288, 000 fish.

However, in just a couple of months, controversy has emerged between the councillors and residents regarding the handling of the project. Residents living around Lake Saka allege mistreatment by the engineering company.

They said they have been stopped from fishing using hooks on Lake Saka by armed guards, a thing they say has deprived them of their livelihood. Residents claim to have been beaten by the armed guards at the lakes as they try to work on their gardens. The law says that any activity near water bodies should be at least 200 metres away from the water as a way of protecting the environment.

Chairman blamed
Some councillors have turned their guns on the district chairman, Mr Richard Rwabuhinga. alleging he sold the lakes to investors. Mr Rwabuhinga, however, says the company wants to modernise fishing with a major aim of establishing a fish processing factory in the district to create jobs.