Fishermen complain about being harassed

Bagamoyo. Fishermen have complained against being beaten by state agents, having their fishing gear destroyed and left poorer.

They were speaking on Friday to Livestock and Fisheries deputy minister Abdallah Ulega, during public meetings at Mlingotini Village and Bagamoyo Sokoni in Bagamoyo.

Last month, the ministry conducted an operation against illegal fishing in Bagamoyo, triggering complaints that people were being harassed.

The residents told Mr Ulega that security forces even went into homes, looking for suspects of illegal fishing and beating them up.

“They knocked the door at my house. When I opened they started beating me up and dragged me to a nearby police station,” one resident lamented.

Mr Ulega apologised, assuring the residents that action would be taken against the culprits.

He said the government neither ordered police officers to use excessive force nor having their fishing gear destroyed, but wanted marine resources to be managed well.

Bagamoyo MP Shukuru Kawambwa thanked Mr Ulega for coming to the district. He said the operation had left many people traumatised.