Leader of Opposition to move motion investigating torture of fishermen
The President directed the deployment of UPDF soldiers on all the lakes in the country to combat illegal fishing practices as a way of protecting fish resources that were under the threat of depletion.
The Leader of Opposition (LOP), Mathias Mpuuga, is set to move a motion for an inquest into the torture of persons at fish landing sites.
He said the matter has many times been discussed on the flow of parliament and for some reason as leaders they have not found a solution for Ugandans who see the lake as a source of income.
Mpuuga says before the lakes were submitted to classified interests, fishers’ men had better ways known to them of how they would solve problems of poor fishing.
He noted that according to information, some of the UPDF officers are illegally tracking illegal fishermen if not aiding illegal fishing themselves.
“Some of these officers are involved in illegal fishing. When they confiscate these fish, they take them and partake in the benefits individually. We have never heard of the revenues collected on the bounties of illegal fishing,”
“Right Honorable Speaker, this house owes it to the people of Uganda. We have canvased over this matter with my team in my cabinet and we shall soon move a motion of an inquest into the torture of persons at fish landing sites,” he said.
According to Mpuuga, the UPDF which polices the lakes to curb bad fishing methods is not an outlaw outfit.
He specified that the fishing act does not turn UPDF officers into a court, and they do not have the right to execute anybody caught in the act of illegal fishing.
Robert Migadde, the MP from Buvuma Island County, wonders why the army continues to arrest fishermen over what they term as ‘use of illegal nets’.
“These nets are sold on the market after being cleared by Uganda Revenue Authority, and yet they go ahead and arrest the people using them. We need an explanation,” he said.
Helen Nakimuli, the woman MP for Kalangala district, wants the government to compensate families of fishermen who were allegedly killed by the army after being arrested for illegal fishing.
The Fisheries Protection Unit was created in 2017 on the orders of President Yoweri Museveni.
The President directed the deployment of UPDF soldiers on all the lakes in the country to combat illegal fishing practices as a way of protecting fish resources that were under threat of depletion.
