By Lawrence Mushabe
The UPDF Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) have destroyed over one ton of immature fish worth millions of shillings in Entebbe.
The UPDF Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) Political Commissar, Maj Bernard Karugaba said the continued illegal fishing practices on Lake Victoria are due to failure to observe the laws by the community members engaged in the fishing activities.
Karugaba addressed journalists during the burning exercise of the immature fish after a court order was issued for their destruction at the Bugonga Landing Site FPU base.
“There are those fishermen that bring in illegal fishing gears from border countries but we assure the public that all those will be arrested anytime”Karugaba said
Karugaba added the unit is working with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and customs officials across legal border points to curb perpetrators involved in importing the illegal fishing activities.
The MAAIF fisheries inspector ,Innocent Mugabi said the fish was impounded from illegal smugglers in Jinja City last week who were transporting them to Kenya for selling
“Our soldiers intercepted the culprits in Jinja, three suspects were arrested and taken to Buganda road court for further management together with the illegal fish which court advised to burn them since they were immature and improper for human consumption”, Mugabi stated.
Mugabi added the culprits didn’t have any documents particularly the license, the fish moving permits, the Nile Perch were very immature fish since they were 13 inches long instead of the required 21 inches for mature fish.