Fishermen on Lake Albert in the Bunyoro sub-region want top army officials to investigate the fisheries Protection Unit-FPU operatives for allegedly selling impounded immature fish in the Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC.
The FPU has been conducting operations against illegal fishing gear on Lake Albert since August. However, fishermen at various landing sites say their impounded immature fish by the FPU operatives is ending up in the DRC fish markets.
According to the aggrieved fishermen, the FPU operatives are conniving with boat transporters both in Uganda and DRC to quietly sneak their impounded immature fish to DRC through the Lake Albert waters, a thing they have seriously condemned.
Robert Mujuni, the Chairperson Kaiso landing site fishing community in Hoima district says it is unfortunate that the army deployed to curb down illegal fishing activity is again involved in dubious acts hence calling for immediate investigations against the officers.
Rogers Bakwata, a fisherman at Bugoma landing site in Kikuube district says that the actions of the operatives will compel fishermen to violently protest their operations on the lake since they have turned around to promote illegal fishing by selling their impounded immature fish to DRC instead of destroying them or giving them out to the vulnerable people.
But, Lt. Lauben Ndifula, the FPU spokesperson has however dismissed the allegations being made by the fishermen as baseless. He says most of the fishermen are not happy with the ongoing operations of illegal fishing by the FPU on the lake and therefore want to create allegations that can taint their image before the public.
