Amolatar | State Minister of Fisheries Hellen Adoa has promised support to the fishing community on Lake Kyoga, Amolatar, after a string of challenging times.
Adoa, who met with fishermen and local leaders at the Bangala landing site on Saturday, said she would meet with President Museveni to discuss the Fishery Protection Unit (FPU) operations on lakes.
Her visit to Amolatar came after FPU soldiers fatally shot fishermen at the Kitwe landing site. The recent killing happened on Tuesday (this past week) and another fisherman was arrested.
Adoa condemned the shooting of fishermen, stating that one should rather be arrested and tried legally.
Regarding compensating fishermen who lost their property and the prevalence of torture, Adoa stated, “It is difficult, but every Ugandan deserves compensation. I will work on it as I meet with the President about the Lake Kyoga fishermen’s problem.
As requested by fishermen to meet with the President, the Minister stated that 50 fishermen from various districts that border lakes in Uganda will accompany her.
She also encouraged young people and women to form groups so that they can be financially supported to run various businesses.
The Minister ordered the FPU to return the boats they had confiscated without asking for payment, and advised them not to keep boats on the land for too long because they are easily destroyed by the sun.
Dr. Agness Atim Apea, the woman MP for Amolatar district, advised the Minister to bring the President to the fishermen to avoid the issue of who meets the president.
She also asked the Minister to remove FPU from the lakes, proposing that they be replaced by marine police who can interact with fishermen.
Moses Okot Jr. Bitek, a Kyoga County Member of Parliament, has repeatedly requested through the Minister that the FPU officer who shot and killed a fisherman on Tuesday be brought before the community court martial.
Okot, who later walked away during the Minister’s speech, slammed Minister Adoa’s response to issues affecting fishermen.
MP Okot wondered what brought her to Bangala, adding that she “solved nothing.”
Geoffrey Ocen, the LC5 chairperson of Amolatar, has demanded that the fishermen’s problem be handled properly or there will be no vote.
“You cannot kill and torture fishermen on a daily basis and expect them to vote for you. “The President should forget if he does not address the issues of beating and killing fishermen,” Ocen added.
Rembo Ongu, LC3 chairman of Namasale sub-county, requested that the Lake be removed from Amolatar so that its residents would no longer die from it.
Baker Hamis is a fisherman from the Bangala landing site. He requested that the government allow them to use monofilament nets that catch large catches.
He informed the Minister that the net is recommended for use, but it is expensive and frequently destroyed by water weeds.
Another fisherman, Okello Moses, decried the high level of extortion by FPU soldiers and urged the government to intervene.
He also requested that FPU be removed from fishing activities because they have joined the activities of beating, torturing, and chasing fishermen away from the lake.
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