Govt reopens Kalangala landing sites
Boats tied up at Senero, one of the landing sites closed due to illegal fishing. PHOTO/SLYVESTER SSEMUGENYI
What you need to know:
- The landing sites include Banga, Misonzi,Buyiri,Senero, and Lujaabwa in Mazinga Sub-county while Njoga, Kagolomolo and Kaazi-Malanga remain closed.
A section of fishermen on the island district of Kalangala can now breathe a sigh of relief after the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) reopened five of the eight landing sites that were closed last month over illegal fishing.
The landing sites include Banga, Misonzi,Buyiri,Senero, and Lujaabwa in Mazinga Sub-county while Njoga, Kagolomolo and Kaazi-Malanga remain closed.
Capt Eric Muhangi, the FPU commandant in Kalangala District, said they reopened some landing sites after unscrupulous fishermen voluntarily surrendered the illegal fishing gears.
“We have given them a warning not to involve themselves in illegal fishing activities again. If we receive intelligence information that illegal fishing has cropped up again, their landing sites will completely be shut down,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.
He said the team would extend its operations to remote fish landing sites on offshore islands such as Kitobo, Kikwiri, Lwanabatya, Mutambala, Semawundo, and Lwabaswa.
“We are aware that fishermen on some remote islands near Tanzania are engaging in illegal fishing. They know our team cannot go there daily and they have continued with their illicit activities,” he said.
Mr Sam Mpozza, a member of the beach management committee at Banga Landing Site, said they have set up a five-member committee to oversee the activities.
“Our people have paid the price for keeping silent when a few individuals are engaging in illegal fishing. We don’t want this to happen again,” he said.
Mr Alex Musoke, a fisherman at Ssemawundo Landing Site, advised FPU to use spies to curb the vice.
“FPU should recruit informers at each landing site because they are ready to share information about those involved in illegal fishing,” he said.
Due to limited manpower, FPU has found it difficult to effectively monitor all the 84 islands that make up Kalangala District.
Illegal fishing
Illegal fishing, according to FPU involves using less than five-inch fishing nets for Tilapia and less than seven-inch fishing nets for Nile Perch that results in the harvesting of immature fish that measure less than 11 and 20 inches in length, respectively.
It also entails using fishing boats that are less than 20 feet in length and with absence of life jackets.
