Last week the District Security Committee in Hoima and Kikuube districts suspended all fishing activities on the lake Albert waters, as a measure to control the spread of Corona virus disease COVID-19.
The government has bowed to pressure from
fishermen and relaxed the directive issued suspending all fishing activities on Lake
Albert following the outbreak of Corona virus (COVID -19) in the country.
Last week the District Security Committee in
Hoima and Kikuube districts suspended all fishing activities on the lake Albert
waters, as a measure to control the spread of the Coronavirus.
The security committee unanimously resolved
that fishing on Lake Albert be suspended for 32 days, in line with a partial
lock down that was announced by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last week.
The committee
observed that some Ugandan fishermen cross to the Democratic Republic of Congo and
mix freely with communities on the other side, before crossing back to Uganda,
which possess a risk of contracting the virus.
Following the suspension of the fishing
activities on the lake, fishermen and area leaders protested the decision
calling on the government to revise the decision on the suspension.
They argued
that the lake is the only source of livelihood to thousands of people settling
along the shores of lake Albert.
Now Samuel Kisembo, the Hoima Resident
District Commissioner - RDC says following the public outcry more especially by
the fishermen, they have resolved that fishing should strictly be carried out
during day time under close supervision by the Uganda Peoples Defense
Forces - UPDF, Uganda police Force - UPF and other sister security agencies.
He says fishing will strictly start from 8am
to 6pm daily adding that beyond that no fisherman will be allowed to access
the lake. Fishermen will also not be
allowed to go deeper into the lake.
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According to the RDC, the move is aimed at
avoiding Ugandan fishermen from freely mixing with the Congolese fishermen on
the lake before landing on the Ugandan landing sites.
Richard Okello, a fisherman at Kijangi
landing site has welcomed the new guideline saying this will enable them carry
out fishing for survival.
