KAMPALA-President Yoweri Museveni has returned the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2021 to parliament for reconsideration, saying that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces [UPDF] must play a significant role in safeguarding the fisheries sub-sector.
The bill that was passed by parliament on May 3, 2022, seeks to consolidate and reform the law related to the management of fisheries and fisheries products and aquaculture in the country.
However, even though the bill was sent for assent, during plenary on September 7, 2022, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among communicated that the president had returned the bill for reconsideration.
According to Among, Museveni’s letter dated August 18, 2022, raised concerns that the bill domiciles the surveillance unit organisation command, control, and training under the Uganda Police force [UPF], and yet it should be under the UPDF and the UPF.
“The rationale is that given the need for continuous surveillance and sophisticated ways employed by people involved in illegal fishing, the support for both UPDF and the Uganda Police force is required,” Museveni wrote.
Museveni also said that the bill does not adequately define a licensing officer.
He said that defining a licensing officer as a Chief Fisheries Officer, or District Fisheries Officer, will cause confusion and can lead to malpractice in the fisheries sub-sector.
The Speaker whilst forwarding the bill to the Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries for reconsideration urged the members to restrict themselves on the grounds that have been raised by the president.
The committee was given a week to reconsider the bill as suggested by President Museveni.
Commenting on the issue of returned bills, the Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, said that parliament spends a lot of time processing government bills, blaming it on the line ministers who he alleged do not do their jobs.
The Minister for Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, said that the president played his role by deferring to assent to the bill, with reasons.
The new law, if passed, intends to address challenges and emerging issues in the regulation and management of the fisheries sector that are not addressed under the current law, including overcapacity, and invasion of water bodies by aquatic weeds.
Other issues to be addressed by the new law are; limited support and investments in aquaculture, institutional challenges, excessive fishing pressure; destructive fishing malpractices, growth in illicit fish trade in immature fish, increasing local fish demand, and decreasing per capita fish consumption.
“The Fish Act is obsolete and cannot adequately cater for the current realities, including the changes in the fishery structure, aquaculture development, limiting of overcapacity and ensuring community involvement in enforcement.”
Another concern is that there have also been tremendous changes in the technological landscape, some of which require regulation. “There is need to amend the Act to provide for regulation of the fisheries and aquaculture along the value chain, streamline the decentralised and centralised fisheries staffing and redefine establishment of co-management structures.”
The new bill notes that fisheries management and governance are critical for a sustainable fishery and the current breakdown in the system has created a gap at grassroots level and broken down the traceability system that is critical in ensuring fish exports to prime markets. “The proposed new law is intended to realign emerging issues and provide regulations necessary for the orderly development of the fisheries sub-sector.”
https://thecooperator.news/fishermen-on-lake-albert-accuse-updf-officers-of-torture-and-harassment/
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