The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Capt. Ronald Akandwanaho, the commandant of the UPDF Fisheries Protection Unit-FPU in Mayuge and Jinja districts wants a special court established to handle cases related to illegal fishing practices.
He told URN in an exclusive interview on Thursday that the general court often delay to process cases of people caught in illegal fishing practices and at time release them on bail, which undermines their efforts to fight the vice.
Akandwanaho notes that cases of illegal fishing practices have increased and over 2500 illegal boats commonly referred to as “bao tatu” and 800 beach seines have been impounded in the past seven months.
He however, says that the perpetrators released on court bail end up relocating to other landing sites making it hard to discipline them.
He says that of the 785 people arrested over the past two years only 43 were sentenced to three months each. The rest have since disappeared after being granted court bail.
Akandwanaho argues that such lighter sentences given to fishermen involved in illegal fishing practices frustrates their efforts as more people join the trade well aware that they won’t stay long in detention centers.
James Mukose, a member of the Association of Fishers and Lake Users of Uganda-AFALU, says the responsible government authorities should tighten regulation on fishing gears imported in the country.
“Fishermen will always find a way of manipulating enforcement agencies to their advantage. But I think if the authorities mandated with regulating imports could severely screen all the fishing gears imported in the country, then fishermen won’t have any access to them,” he said.
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