Wilber Muhwezi
20 December 2007
Bushenyi — THE Fisheries officer in charge of regulations and enforcement in Bushenyi Local Government, Mr Ronald Rubaihayo, has said he is facing a big problem of fish traders selling tonnes of immature Nile Perch fish from Lake Victoria to people of Bunyaruguru County in Bushenyi district and DR Congo.
He said the average length of Nile perch on markets is 8 inch instead of 18 inch as recommended by the Fish and Crocodile Act of 1964.
Mr Rubaihayo told reporters on Tuesday in Bushenyi town that traders, mostly from Kalangala District, carry the Nile perch from the landing sites on Lake Victoria where undersized nets and beach seining are common practices.
He said the traders move at night from Kalangala and reach Bunyaruguru County on market days of Tuesdays at Katerara and Fridays at Bwera on the Uganda-DRC border.
He said to curb this illegal practice, road checks have been put in place along the Mbarara-Kasese highway.
Mr Rubaihayo said they have also carried out market inspections and confiscated more than 1,000 kilograms of Nile Perch from Nyakasharu market in Bunyaruguru County in Bushenyi District. He said they will continue carying out the inspections.
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