Government sets date to lift fishing ban

State minister for Defence, Col Charles Okello Engola

What you need to know:

  • The suspension was to last two months.

Government has tentatively set December as the date for re-opening Lake Kyoga for fishing, more than six months after enforcing the ban.
Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) in April suspended activities on the lake to allow soldiers register fishermen and also enable them acquire standard boats and fishing gears. The suspension was to last two months.

While responding to concerns from both the district leaders and members of the fishing community over the prolonged FPU operations on the lake last week at Kasambya Landing Site in Kalungi Sub-county, the State minister for Defence, Col Charles Okello Engola, said sanity is slowly returning on the lake, giving hope that fishermen can resume work soon.

“When we open the lake, we shall only allow the required size of boats and the right nets. It is not true that government has a plan to deny communities the chance to fish after the lake is re-opened. Let us wait for December,” Col Engola told residents who had earlier demanded an assurance that they will be allowed to engage in the fishing activity after the lake is opened to the public.