Deep Roots

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activities. However, most of the families in fishing communi-

ties that provide the cheapest labour to the fishing companies

cannot afford fish anymore, nor can that they sustain their

livelihoods through fishing as it used to be. One wonders who

should be the direct beneficiary of fisheries resources.

FAO has identified a number of factors that are key for the

successful development of family farming, such as agroecologi-

cal conditions and territorial characteristics; policy environment;

access to markets; access to land and natural resources; access

to technology and extension services; access to finance; demo-

graphic, economic and sociocultural conditions; and the

availability of specialized education, among others. Access to

land and natural resources, as well as a conducive policy envi-

ronment, are evidently crucial to promote family fisheries so as

to support the food security and well-being of the communities.

In Uganda, the substantive law that currently provides for

the regulation of the fisheries is the Fish Act 1964 (Cap. 228).

The Act is now considered inadequate to cope with the current

domestic and international changes in fisheries administration

and the latest policy direction and focus. By current standards

it is neither comprehensive nor flexible enough to provide for

the proper management and conservation of the fisheries.

The Local Government Act of 1997 also mandates districts

to manage their lakes or waters, within their areas of juris-

diction. Essentially, local governments are granted powers

for effective governance. They are also mandated to enact

appropriate district fisheries ordinances and enforce these as

well. However, experience shows that the current large-scale

land purchases and acquisitions are beyond the capacity of

the local government to address sufficiently. So there is also a

need to revisit the Act, and other fisheries laws and policies,

to incorporate emerging issues and concerns in the sector.

The prevailing worldwide uncontrolled acquisition of land

by private investors denies the families their access rights

to the lake, which for them is the source of fish for food,

water, employment and income in general. Unfortunately, the

pressure to acquire/buy certain parts of the lake by commer-

cial fisheries has made those parts inaccessible for the local

communities. Making parts of the coasts/lake inaccessible and

confining local people to one particular part not only dimin-

ishes their catch, but also threatens their livelihoods. The

prevailing tendency to privatize water bodies under the guise

of improved governance of fisheries, especially for small-scale

fisheries, has jeopardized the rights of the fishers and threat-

ens family fishing.

The limited information – if any – among families on the

existing land laws and regulations governing the use of land

and water resources in the community, not to mention the

international instruments where they exist, is written in the

official language, English. This is usually a second language

for the families, and the majority of the local people who are

affected by these measures are unable to read and interpret or

understand the information. Communities engaged in family

fishing are therefore ignorant of the very laws and policies that

are meant to protect them.

There is clearly a lack of involvement of the local commu-

nities/families in the decisions that directly affect their lives.

It is evident that fisher communities have not been involved

in many of the decisions regarding use and access to the lake

where they live and on which their lives directly depend.

Interventions to address prevailing issues are required at all

levels, with concerted efforts to work together even between

sectors such as farmers, fishers, pastoralists and other food

producing sectors.

A Deputy District Speaker responds to issues raised during the community

dialogue to address arising fisheries management issues in Mukono

Community sensitization on sustainable fisheries through public meeting in

Ukerewe Island Tanzania

Image: KWDT

Image: EMEDO

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