The Governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed an agreement establishing the Lake Edward and Lake Albert Fisheries and Aquaculture Organization (LEA-FAO) which is a bilateral agreement for the sustainable management of the fisheries resources and aquaculture on these lakes.
The State Minister for fisheries, Hellen Adoa while holding an engagement with the fishermen plying their trade on these lakes last week on Tuesday 12th July at the Aquaculture Research Centre in Kajjansi, Wakiso District, revealed that the newly signed agreement seeks to foster sustainable management of the lakes which are shared by both countries.
During the same engagement the minister lauded the fishermen for organizing themselves into groups, saying it is the easiest way to grow financially.
“One of the reasons to why it has been difficult to support the fishermen is because they were disorganized, they want to move as individuals and when you give them a loan they just takeoff but now that it’s a group, it’s easy to control the landing sites where the lake should not be exploited and also easy identification of big fish farmers with good farming methods among others,” she said.
The minister furthermore revealed that they have come up with a program know as smart agriculture that aims at involving the youths into fishing and farming so that they are engaged mostly on aquaculture.
During this engagement, the fishermen through their vice chairperson Abibu Businga pledged to undertake responsible fishing practices in the harvesting of the two deep offshore large pelagic fish resources by use of the permitted fishing gears and methods.
They also pledged to enter into an understanding with the Fisheries Directorate to carry out self monitoring among themselves, to practice “zero tolerance” in disciplining or discouraging in accordance with the existing fishing rules and laws.
“We are now desirous of forming ourselves into a fishing association to work together with the ministry responsible for fisheries in fostering cooperation in the shared management of these offshore large pelagic fish resources for sustainability,” Businga stated.
Buliisa county legislator, Allan Atugonza appealed to the minister to allow the fishermen get special permits for harvesting certain species of fish that are known as “Ngasia and Angara” which go beyond the recommended inches of the ministry for the easy economic transformation of the fishermen due to the fact that this type of fish is alot in the lake according to the researchers.
Norah Bigirwa who is the Buliisa Woman Member of Parliament appreciated the minister and team for having allowed the fishermen in the community to continue carrying out a rightful fishing on the lake and her contribution of 100 nets as a starting point for the lake Albert fishers.
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