By Joshua Olomo
Kwania, Uganda | Kwania District Fisheries Department, working jointly with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Marine Unit of the 155 Battalion, has destroyed 5,780 illegal fishing nets worth an estimate of over Shs180 million in a renewed crackdown on illegal fishing on Lake Kwania.
The fishing gear, which included monofilament nets, undersized nets, C-nets and itakey nets commonly used to catch silverfish, was burnt after being impounded during a month-long enforcement operation targeting illegal fishing practices blamed for the rapid depletion of fish stocks.
The Commander of the UPDF Marine Unit, Lt Col Jackson Nuwagaba, commended members of the landing site committees for supporting security agencies in mobilising fishing communities and identifying offenders during the operation.
He warned fishermen still using or keeping illegal fishing gear to voluntarily surrender it to the authorities or risk having it confiscated during ongoing enforcement operations.
Kwania District Fisheries Officer Ronald Otim urged fishermen to work closely with landing site leaders and comply with fisheries regulations to avoid suffering heavy financial losses through confiscation and destruction of illegal gear.
Otim said chairpersons of the district’s 11 landing site committees, during a meeting held at Atuma Barracks, resolved to completely ban the use of monofilament nets, prosecute offenders, immediately destroy confiscated illegal fishing gear in the presence of its owners, and intensify joint enforcement operations across the lake.
He added that the meeting also called on all stakeholders in the fisheries sector to work together to eliminate illegal fishing and promote sustainable management of Lake Kwania’s fisheries resources.
The chairperson of the Kwania District Landing Sites Committee, Charles Otim, who heads the 11 landing site committees, said the resolutions would strengthen fisheries management, improve compliance with the law and enhance local government revenue through sustainable fishing practices. He appealed to all fishermen to cooperate with authorities in implementing the agreed measures.
