Rashid Kasaajja, the Bukagabo landing site chairperson, says that much as the Fisheries Protection Unit-FPU personnel have labored to sensitize fishermen on the disadvantages of using illegal fishing gear, which contribute to the increase of fatal accidents across the lake, most of them have remained adamant.
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The Marine Police Unit has teamed up with volunteers to search the remains of two fishermen who drowned Tuesday night in Lake Victoria. The deceased fishermen are David Kanyaku and Arafat Muwanika, both from Bukagabo landing site in Malongo sub-county in Mayuge district.
They allegedly entered the lake at about 8:00 pm to harvest fish together with their colleague identified as Steven Ssenyonjjo. According to Ssenyojo, a heavy storm overpowered the fishermen forcing their small boat to capsize.
Ssenyonjjo says that he braved the stormy waters and managed to swim to the shoreline but his colleagues didnt make it. “We were sailing on a small boat, which was wrecked in two pieces following the heavy storms. My colleagues lacked swimming skills and since it was a late-night without standby rescue teams, they drowned,” he said.
Rashid Kasaajja, the Bukagabo landing site chairperson, says that much as the Fisheries Protection Unit-FPU personnel have labored to sensitize fishermen on the disadvantages of using illegal fishing gear, which contribute to the increase of fatal accidents across the lake, most of them have remained adamant.
“Since FPU personnel are few in number, most of our colleagues have continued to take advantage of such inefficiencies to continue deploying illegal fishing gears like small-sized boats, which have in turn resulted in endless fatal accidents,” he said.
The Busoga East police spokesperson, Diana Nandawula confirms the ongoing efforts to search for the remains of the deceased fishermen and rallies all lake users to wear life jackets to save them from danger.
