Pallisa, Ngora leaders suspend fishing on Lake Nyaguo over fishing gear

The Pallisa LC5 chairman, Mr John Micheal Okurut told Daily Monitor that ever since tension broke out between the communities on either side late last year, resulting into the death of two people, the district has been the epicenter of fights.

“We have held a series of meetings in which the inter-district security committee resolved that all boats and fishermen should be registered and also fishing activities be suspended until further notice.This was done to curtail further clashes between the two fishing communities,” Mr Okurut said.

He explained that no body will be allowed to fish on the lake until all the issues raised have been properly discussed and action taken. 
Tension emerged between the fishermen of Pallisa and Ngora over illegal fishing gears that were being used on the lake.

Both sides were counter-accusing each other  of illegally using fishing gears that were not recommended. This however, sparked off a disagreement amongst the fishermen operating on Lake Nyaguo. 

The Beach management committee [BMC] headed by Mr Faustino Mwanika, and his accomplice attacked  Mr Calvin Opedum, Mr Omunyokol and Mr Silas Omudu from Ngora district, for using illegal fishing gears.

During the operation by the Beach Management Committee, a fist fight erupted and in the process two people; Calvin Opedun and Omunyokol, reportedly drowned into the lake while Mr Silas Omudu  survived.

Upon the death of these two people, angry relatives armed with machetes and clubs stormed the village on the side of Pallisa, looted goats, sheep and valuable house-hold properties forcing police to respond.

The Agule LC3 chairperson, Ms Jane Francis Atuko, said that ever since  the nasty incidence has left many families traumatized and fleeing their homes for fear of revenge.

Lake Nyaguo is a finger of Lake Kyoga that is shared by three districts of Pallisa, Kumi and Ngora and remains the biggest livelihood for the communities around the lake. 

“This is not the first time these two communities are engaged into fighting over use of  illegal  fishing gears. We have had several meetings but the situation continues to worsen and lives are lost because of the matter,” Ms Atuko said

The Deputy Resident District commissioner, Mr Emokol Onyango, said the move to suspend all fishing activities on the lake was because of the prevailing circumstances that was still breeding insecurity on the lake. 
“We need to harmonize the situation on both sides because if the status quo remains the same, it will not end the fight,” Mr Onyango said.

He said that despite the situation being under control, the police remain on standby to maintain surveillance in case of more attacks. “We need not to give room and people kill each other because of fishing gears.We need to work as brothers and sisters for betterment of our families since majority depend on this lake for livelihood” he said.

Fishing activities on Lake Nyaguo is no-more until the inter-district security committee finds it more peaceful to allow the two communities resume fishing but this will be done if the fishing communities comply to the laid down guidelines and this will involve fishermen and boats getting registered for easy tracking.

Mr Onyango further said that communities involved in unlawful fishing have to either ditch the banned activities or procure the recommended fishing gears if they will be allowed back to continue with their activities.

Previous incidence
On May 28 2017, Police rescued two fishermen from being lynched after they were suspected to have been part of the gang that has been terrorizing their fellow fishermen on the lake. Mr ChristopherAkamu and Mr Isaac Ariyo, both from Ngora, survived death after they were found using illegal fishing gears and even destroying fishnets of other fishmongers