Ward officers seized over allegation of bad fishing
What you need to know:
- The officials (names withheld) were arrested over the weekend in Mchangani Village, Geita District here following a tip from some of wananchi.
Geita. Police here are holding two ward officials for allegedly collaborating with fishermen who engage in illegal fishing on the shores of Lake Victoria.
The officials (names withheld) were arrested over the weekend in Mchangani Village, Geita District here following a tip from some of wananchi.
Meanwhile, eight people are in police custody after they were allegedly found in possession of illegal fishing gear.
“The arrested ward officials failed to abide by code of conduct,” Mchangani Village chairman Simon Kinasa said.
He urged civil servants to be abreast of the Civil Service Code of Conduct in order not to go contrary to it.
He said some civil servants in the area have been frustrating the government’s efforts to curb illegal fishing in the lake. He warned them to stop that attitude or face the consequences.
He said, as ward officials, they are supposed to team up with other relevant in addressing illegal fishing instead of facilitating it.
In another development, police in collaboration with officials from the the Fisheries Department in the district have destroyed illegal fishing gear worth Sh158 million.
This followed a swoop carried out on Lake Victoria to ensure that fishermen use the right nets.
Improper fishing practices has led to destruction of fish breeding grounds.
“The dwindling fish stock in the lake is worrying. It’s because of the rampant use of illegal gear, which capture both mature and immature fish, including their eggs,” said one of the officials who declined to be named.
Beach seining, mono filament and use of undersized nets are the most common illegal methods of capturing fish.
He said most of the government officials in the district are familiar with people engaging in illegal fishing and that they should reveal them instead of allowing them to destroy the ecosystem of the lake.
According to him, local leaders are the closest people to those involved in the vice. He urged them to join hands with the government to curb the problem.
