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Govt proposes suspension of fishing permits in L.Victoria
2007-12-18 09:42:21
By Bigambo Jeje, PST, Bukoba
The government has proposed immediate suspension of fishing permits for the East African member states following reports of rapid depletion of fish in Lake Victoria.
The Prime Minister, Edward Lowassa made the appeal in Kagera over the weekend during celebrations to mark the International Day for Fishermen marked at regional level in Kagera. All five EA member states were represented.
In a speech read on his behalf by the minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Prof. Jumanne Maghembe, the prime minister said statistics from fisheries department indicated that fish in Lake Victoria, especially the Nile perch type, has dropped significantly in number.
``The increasing scarcity of fish in Lake Victoria, the second largest in the world, appeals for immediate attention as the situation threatens its survival.
Unscrupulous fishermen are likely to use dynamites to destroy fish breeding grounds causing massive destruction of the environment,`` Lowassa said.
Clarifying on the latest reports on drastic drop of catch in Lake Victoria for Tanzania side in the past seven months, Lowassa said early this year in February the catch stood at 772,000 tons but surprisingly dropped to 314,000 tons in September this year.
He said following the shocking revelation about possible disappearance of fish from the lake, the government through fisheries department will either suspend issuance of permits or revoke the permits altogether to protect the breeding centres of fish in the lake.
``The government has started implementation of agreements jointly signed in Nairobi in November last year which stipulates that fishing of under 800 gramme fish measuring less than 40 cm was prohibited,`` Lowassa insisted.
It was revealed that officials in fishing department in the Lake regions, Mara, Kagera and Mwanza have deployed inspectors to monitor adherence to the regulations for improved fishing in the Lake.
Earlier, Kagera Regional Commissioner, Rtd Colonel Enos Mfuru said that a total of 14,848 illegal fishing gear were impounded in the region between July last year and this month.
He said 357 suspects have been nabbed in connection with illegal fishing, and that 175 out of the number had already appeared in court within the specified period.
According to the Chairman of the East African Non-Governmental Lake Victoria Fishing Network, Yusto Mchuruza, the region marked the fisrt Global Fishermen Day in Kisumu, Kenya last year with a clear focus on stakeholders` rights and conservation of the marine environment.
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