On Thursday Hon. Rose Tumusiime warned fishermen operating at the Bugonga Landing Site in Entebbe Municipality against illegal fishing. MP Tumusiime who was accompanied by the lower madi county Member of Parliament in Arua District Hon. Ogama Alli Ismail stormed Bugonga Landing site following several reports that the UPDF Marines Fisheries Task force only cracks down and arrests fishermen mainly from the Lugbara community against illegal fishing.
The Lugbara fishermen accused the UPDF Marines Fisheries Task force of discrimination during the arrests adding that fishermen from other tribes walk scot free and yet they also engage in illegal fishing.
However, MP Tumusiime and her counterpart Hon. Ogama Ismail clearly stated that the crackdown against illegal fishing is a government policy and any fisherman caught using illegal fishing nets and gear is arrested and taken to the courts of law regardless of tribe.
Esther Kayanga and Peter Kitaka Sebufu, LC3 Councilors in Bugonga zone dismissed claims that the Lugbara fishing community is being singled out by the UPDF Marines Task Force.
They disclosed that while other fishermen agreed and complied with UPDF Marines Task Force new guidelines and measures on fishing, the Lugbara fishing community adamantly refused to comply and have been using their illegal fishing nets and hence majority of them were arrested and are languishing in Kigo and Kitala prisons.
During the meeting, the Lugbara fishermen agreed to destroy their illegal fishing gear and appealed to Hon. Rose Tumusiime and Hon. Ogama Ismail to lobby for them the accepted fishing gear including nets because they are costly for an ordinary fisherman to purchase.
