Patrick Jaramogi
8 April 2008
Kampala — LAKE Kyoga may soon have no fish due to indiscriminate fishing and failure by the districts bordering it to commit funds to sustain the lake, according to a management body.
The Lake Kyoga Integrated Management Organisation, which is mandated to check illegal activities on the lake is crippled due to lack of cash.
The body brings together 11 districts of Kayunga, Kamuli, Kaberamaido, Amolatar, Dokolo, Katakwi, Soroti, Kumi, Paliisa, Apac and Nakasongola.
The district leaders last week passed a resolution during their meeting in Nakasongola that members pay subscription arrears worth sh1.65b and asked the Government to intervene.
"We can't achieve much from the lake if we don't support this body. We urge the Ministry of Agriculture to intervene," said Robert Engulu, the Kaberamaido LC5 chairman.
"We have to get a way of supporting the secretariat so that they can do their job effectively."
The organisation's executive secretary, Felix Gonzaga Magnot, said the districts had not remitted their sh5m annual subscription fees for the last three years.
Nakasongola chairman James Wandira Muruli said the districts should use the sh12b graduated tax compensation on some of the lake activities.
"I pray that we approve this suggestion. The fish is being depleted due to illegal fishing gear but the management organisation is cash-strapped and therefore cannot address this problem,' he said
The meeting was also attended by chief administrative officers and district water officers.
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