Silverfish Association pushes for new fishing practices

The Silverfish Association of Uganda has proposed safe and sustainable fishing methods to be incorporated in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2020.

Members of the Silverfish Association led by their Chairperson, James Lusembo met the Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to present their views on the Bill on Tuesday, 09 November, 2021.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2020 seeks to consolidate and reform the law relating to the management of fisheries, fisheries products and aquaculture due to emerging issues in the regulation and management of the sector.

During the Law Revision of 2000, the country's laws were reorganised and the Fish and Crocodile Act became the Fish Act, which was further amended in 2011 to provide for the establishment of the Fisheries Fund and to permit the retention and use of fees received by the Chief Fisheries Officer from the issuance of licenses, permits and other activities for development and management of the sector.
However, the government says that the amendments were not comprehensive enough to fully address all challenges facing the fisheries sector because they only focused on licences, the introduction of currency points and retention of funds.

Lusembo proposed that in areas designated for fishing and breeding there should be acceptable methods and penalties on fishing.
“We propose designated areas for fish spawn or breeding areas of all fish species and allow fishers who stay far away from deep waters to keep working within non-reserved areas,” he said.
Fish spawning is the most common way for fish to reproduce when the female lays her eggs in the water. The male then fertilizes as many eggs as it can.

Lusembo on behalf of the association recommended that fishing of silverfish be done 2km and beyond from the shoreline to safeguard breeding areas. He also proposed a particular fishnet size of seven to eight millimeters.
The association also proposes lenient penalties and fines in the Bill to avoid tendencies where the offenders opt to bribe the authorities.
The fishermen and traders also appealed to Parliament to provide deterrent measures against foreigners who trade in fishing activities on different water bodies within Uganda’s boundaries.

In their proposal regarding the Bill, the fishermen said that the pressure from fishermen from neighboring countries makes it hard for them to reap dividends from the trade.

Francis Byamugisha, a member of the Association from Kalangala district appealed that Parliament also imposes heavier taxes on foreign firms that wish to transact on Uganda’s waters.

Byamugisha said that both foreigners and local fishermen are subjected to the same amount of taxes yet countries like Tanzania and Kenya have a protectionist policy for their native communities which demands foreigners to pay higher charges through fishing permits.