One tonne of immature fish, nets destroyed in Masaka
FPU officers during the burning of the illegal fish and gear at Kasijjagirwa barracks on January 31. PHOTO/ANTONIO KALYANGO
What you need to know:
- Five boxes of new monofilament fishing nets were intercepted by PPU soldiers along Kalisizo Ddimo road but those who were transporting them abandoned the nets, their vehicles and disappeared.
The Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) in Greater Masaka has destroyed over one tonne of immature Nile perch and five boxes of seized illegal fishing nets in Kalungu District.
The immature fish and illegal nets were burnt from the FPU Base in Kasijjagirwa barracks on January 31 following an order issued by Masaka Magistrates Court.
The illegal fishing nets and boxes containing the immature fish were impounded at Kalangala landing site in Bukulula Sub-county, Kalungu District.
Mr Joseph Kasumba, the Kalungu District Assistant Fisheries Officer told Monitor that the fish were impounded in an operation by the FPU that discovered the illegal items abandoned by fleeing fishermen that anticipated arrest.
“It is likely that the fishermen could have got information that the FPU team was about to get to the area. They abandoned the immature fish and the illegal nets at the landing site. When we checked the boxes, we found the immature fish and nets,” he said.
Mr Kasumba attributed the continuous illegal fishing to the porous borders which scrupulous individuals use to bring illegal fishing gears into the country.
The five boxes of new monofilament fishing nets were intercepted by PPU soldiers along Kalisizo Ddimo road but those who were transporting them abandoned the nets, their vehicles and disappeared.
The Greater Masaka FPU sector commander, Mr Katamba Ssemakula called upon fishermen to abandon illegal fishing because it affects the economy.
“We have scaled up operations because this is a serious attack on the economy and environment. Our waters are a resource which should be conserved even for the future generations,” he noted.
Mr John Bosco Lubyayi, the Deputy RDC for Masaka District asked for more human resource support to Greater Masaka FPU to monitor the many landing sites in the area.
Despite the existence of the FPU team on Lake Victoria, illegal fishing has continued.
In December 2023, the FPU destroyed a consignment of illegal fishing gear and impounded more than 3 tonnes of immature fish in Kalungu District.
