The Tanzania government should review taxes on fishing equipment in order to stop operations of illegal fishermen on Lake Victoria, it has been proposed.According to an association for fishermen, poor equipment prompted some of them, especially on the northern side of the lake, to use poison and kill fish for easy collection.
Speaking on behalf of the fishermen, the chairman of the Victoria Fishing Association (VFA) from Kisorya Island, Mr Msimu Maganga, said illegal fishing was fuelled by poor equipment used by fishermen. They have to use it because they cannot buy recommended fishnets which are expensive, he said, explaining:
When a fisherman uses poison he also kills other marine species and spoils fish breeding areas. We urge the government authorities to join us in this campaign against the dangerous practice, he said.
He also asked for technical assistance in the storage of fish following the high fish demand in foreign markets.
We do not have good storage facilities. We normally rely on ice cubes to keep our catches safe. However, the system does not meet required standards, he added.
Illegal fishing through use of dynamite and poison has been reported as being extensively used in various areas of Lake Victoria in Mwanza, Mara and Kagera regions. However, according to Mr Maganga, those in Mara Region are the most notorious. He named some of them as Kibuyi, Kyangombe, Nyamagaro, Kinesi, Ruhu, Shirati, Suba and Nyancha.
This trend is increasingly affecting fish species in the lake. It has adverse effects on our economy since revenue from fishing will sharply decrease, he warned.
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