From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 7:39 AM
Environmental News By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
EAST African Ministers in charge of fisheries department in their respective countries met in the Kenyan capital at the weekend and deplored the catching and selling of immature Nile Perch fish specifies.
The emergency ministerial council meeting specifically blamed Uganda and Dr. Congo for ruining their concerted effort to save the economically important Nile Perch from possible extinction.
In the attendance were Dr. Poul N Otuyoma { Kenya} John Magufuli {Tanzania}, and Hope Mqwesigye {Uganda}.The ministers said some partner countries in the region, specifically Uganda and Dr. Congo were selling immature Nile Perch locally and at the international markets.
The Council of Ministers authorized an expenditure of Kshs 135 million to support an operation to rescue the endangered Nile Perch fish in Lake Victoria. Each of the three countries, which shared the Lake Victoria would contribute Kshs 45 million.
Most of Eastern African countries export the fish to European Union {EU} countries, Japan, Middle East and to the US, earning billions of shillings annually. The fish is also a source of food for the communities living around Lake Victoria region.
The Nile Perch species of fish, which has since became economically lucrative, was introduced by the former British Colonial rulers in Lake Victoria about 50 years ago, and later became the source of economic boom for the residents of the three countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda due to the high demand of its delicious fish flats.
Dr.Otuoma told his colleagues that the Nile Perch stocks in Lake Victoria have dwindled from 2.1 million tones annually in 2000 to merely 331 tones this year..
“This is a crisis whose social and economic implications are too grave to be ignored”, he said, adding, “ we need, as matter of utmost urgency, a paradigm shift in our strategies and plans for managing the lake and its resources”.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will each request for a supplementary budget from their governments to approve the expenditure of Kshs 45 million each to support the Operation christened “Operation Save Nile Perch Programme”.
“I know that it is the Democratic Republic of Congo and my own country Uganda, whose rampant business involving the sale of juvenile fish, is quite rampant, but the time has come to deal with the matter”, the Ugandan Fisheries Minister told his colleagues.
She stunned other delegates when she readily admitted Uganda has been used as a transits base for the sales of immature fish to the DR Congo.
“I know that this business is also going on in Kenya and Tanzania, but it is thriving more in Uganda and DR Congo,”she said.
The three Ministers, whose countries shared Lake Victoria, signed a deal on the implementation of measures approved by the Seventh Regular Session of Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization Council of Ministers, in February this year.
The countries have agreed to remit funds by December 31 to support the new initiative.
Dr. Otuoma promised that Kenya will remain committed to the pact totally, and will pay its share of the programmed funds.
Magufuli {Tanzania} said his country has intensified the security patrol of their side of Lake Victoria, leading to the confiscation of 21,773 illegal fishing gears and the arrest by security personnel of 58 people.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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Subject: EAC MINISTERS DEPLORE THE CATCHING AND SELLING OF IMMATURE NILE PERCH FISH SPECIES IN LAKE VICTORIA AND BLAMES UGANDA AND DR.CONGO FOR RUINING THEIR EFFORTS.