A dispute has broken out among fishmongers at Kasenyi landing site in Lake Katwe sub-county, Kasese district, after the release of a list naming 33 boats permitted to fish on Lake George under a new presidential directive from HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. This directive is aimed at reducing on the exploitation of the lake and ensure that fishmongers follow the regulations put in place on Lake George and Lake Edward.
Tensions began after an interim Kasenyi landing site fisheries committee compiled and forwarded the list to the district fisheries office and Resident District Commissioner’s (RDC) office where Older fishmongers say the list at large extent didn’t prioritise them as long-standing boat owners, while a group of younger fishmongers and new entrants at the landing site were given proper consideration in the process something they say was unfair.
Older fishmongers continue to argue that as traditional users of the lake should take precedence. They maintain that indigenous boat owners have historical usage rights and institutional knowledge of the lake and its fisheries, and therefore should be prioritized when fishing boats are limited to only 33.
However a group of Young fishmongers who work on the lake say they feel marginalized because of the older fishmongers’ selfish behaviours, Kadogo Isaac a representative of the youth group described frustration among new fishmongers who depend on fishing for their livelihoods. He is calling for a more inclusive process that recognizes recent entrants and the role youth play in the local fishing economy.
After six hours of arguments in a sensitisation meeting between old fishmongers and the new entrants, the interim fisheries committee, led by Micheal Masereka, harmonised the list to reflect indigenous boat ownership and to align with the presidential directive.
Masereka urged calm and called for unity among fishmongers, stressing the need to work together for the development and sustainability of the landing site.
He also indicated that the committee’s objective was to protect local livelihoods while complying with government policy of not exploiting the lake by practicing over fishing and use of illegal nets.
By press time, the district fisheries officials and the RDC’s office have not yet issued a public statement on the matter. However, residents at Kasenyi hope for a rapid, fair resolution that balances tradition, youth employment needs, and the long-term health of Lake George’s fisheries.
