Kampala — RESIDENTS of Bukasa in Kalangala district have asked the Government to give them licences to start exporting monkeys to the DR Congo where there is ready market.

They said the high monkey population on the islands was a menace to their crops.

They told area MP, who is also ethics and integrity minister, Tim Lwanga that the primates were almost pushing them out of farming.

Lwanga was on his routine tour of the constituency recently.

He promised to deliver their requests the concerned authorities.

The residents said they had given up on crops such as bananas, maize and beans.

Wasswa Lugoba, a resident of Bukasa Island, said the estimated 8,000 monkeys on the island outnumbered human beings.

Lt. Col. Andrew Lutaaya of Tende village said much as it was illegal, he was bent on killing the vermins.

The New Vision saw at least seven trapped monkeys in people's homes.

Agriculture state minister Kibirige Ssebunya had advised the people to eat them, but they said monkeys weren't their delicacy.