Government drafting laws to ban illegal fishing nets
Marine Police burn illegal fishing nets at Lujabwa landing site in Kalangala District . Government wants laws banning illegal nets and exportation of immature fish. Photo by Issa Aliga.
What you need to know:
Government allows fishing and export of 11 inch Tilapia and 21 inch Nile Perch.
Government is reviewing the East African Community Customs Management Act to incorporate two Acts of banning illegal fishing nets and export of immature fish, Fisheries minister Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu has said.
Ms Nankabirwa said the move is meant to save Lake Victoria’s fish from depletion. She said it is quite hard for Uganda Revenue Authority to implement a ban on export of immature fish when the same is not being implemented in Kenya and Tanzania.
“The Acts would enable all the three countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya revenue authorities to impound monofilament nets which are some of the most common illegal fishing nets in East Africa’s lakes and put a permanent halt on export of immature fish,” Ms Nankabirwa said while opening the 12th Annual General Meeting of Lake Victoria Regional Local Authorities in Entebbe last week.
The minister said local leaders should firmly deal with people who are destroying Lake Victoria - the only natural resource that kick-started the unification of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda before leaders thought of forming the East African Community.
East African Legislative Assembly Speaker Margret Zziwa said they have already passed laws that will enable the re-installation of navigation stones and aides to map routes where vessels can sail easily to facilitate movement on Lake Victoria.
