FPU releases impounded boats, engines

The Wakiso District Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) commander Mr Hatim Mbaziira has urged fishermen in Wakiso District to desist from illegal fishing activities in a bid to safeguard the sector and improve fish harvests.

“The fishermen have been asking for help to recover their items since most of them didn’t have the required documents to present to the authorities at the start of the operations. When we sat as commanders, we forwarded the message to our superiors, our commander then Lt Col Dick Kaija wrote a letter to President Museveni who accepted to pardon them and we return their items unconditionally,” he said.

Mr Mbaziira made the remarks during a ceremony to handover 113 outboard engines, 17 boda bodas, 102 fishing boats, four bicycles and three cars that were impounded during operations against illegal fishing activities both on Lake Victoria and on the mainland in the districts of Mpigi, Kalangala, Kampala, last week at Gudda Landing Site in Entebbe.

“All that we require is for one to prove ownership of the said property like receipts, those with boats we need fishing licenses from them, not all of them were caught due to illegal fishing, some were confiscated due to lack of required licenses,” he noted.

The deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Entebbe Municipality Ms Jacqueline Kankunda urged fishermen not to go back to their old acts of violating the fishing regulations so that they can also benefit from proper fishing activities and avoid arrests.

“Since the President pardoned those who had committed those crimes and decided to give back the engines and other items, there is peace, what the FPU is doing now of giving back the equipment to the fishermen is a great achievement that shows a good relationship between the soldiers and the fishermen,” she said.