The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers attached to the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) have impounded illegal fishing gear at various landing sites in Jinja City. The confiscated equipment includes illegal fishing nets, such as beach seines, cast nets, and undersized hooks, valued at 100 million Shillings. Additionally, 78 small-sized boats, each costing between 250,000 and 255,000 shillings, were seized, amounting to an estimated total of 20 million Shillings.
WO2 Steven Taremwa, the FPU sector commander for Jinja City and Mayuge District, stated that the operation involved collaboration with vigilante groups at five major landing sites over three days. The teams tracked down culprits and seized illegal fishing equipment. Taremwa revealed that intelligence efforts are ongoing to dismantle networks of illegal fishing net dealers who smuggle these nets into Uganda through porous border points.
He noted that these racketeers operate in black markets, disguising their activities by also selling authentic fishing nets as a cover-up. While Taremwa acknowledged a reduction in illegal fishing cases, he emphasized that sustained enforcement requires cooperation between fishermen and security teams to restore order across Uganda’s water bodies.
However, some fishermen argue that inconsistencies in FPU enforcement have allowed illegal activities to persist. Francisca Namusisi, a member of the Association of Fishers and Lake Users of Uganda (AFALU), noted that enforcement teams lack uniformity in their operations, which emboldens some individuals to violate fishing regulations.
Namusisi further alleged that some FPU officers engage in double standards, using both illegal and legal nets on their boats while leading enforcement operations. This, she said, makes it difficult to hold illegal fishers accountable. Another fisherman, Morris Ojambo, observed that many fishers—both established and new—are involved in illegal fishing practices for quick profits, complicating efforts to eliminate the vice.
Ojambo stressed that fishermen benefit more from proper regulation, as it ensures better fish catch in terms of size and quantity. He urged them to take personal responsibility in fighting illegal fishing rather than solely relying on FPU enforcement.
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