By Brian Keitira
In 2017, President Museveni took a bold step to address the issue of illegal fishing practices, which had been devastating fish stocks in Ugandan water bodies. The Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) was deployed with a mission to combat these unlawful activities and restore the health of the lakes. At the outset, Lt. Col. James Nuwagaba led the FPU but faced criticism for alleged brutality toward the fishermen.
Following this, Lt. Col. Dick Kirya took over the helm, aiming to uphold human rights while tackling illegal fishing. However, it was the arrival of the dedicated Lt. Col. Mercy Tukahirwa that truly marked a turning point. Her tireless efforts have yielded remarkable results in a short span of time, leading to a significant increase in fish stocks, particularly Nile perch and Tilapia.
Lt. Col. Mercy’s approach focuses on eradicating illegal fishing gear such as seine nets, cast nets, and mina filament for example she recently destroyed illegal fishing gear worth 423M at Kawongo landing site on Lake Kyoga in Kayunga District. In addition to this, FPU destroyed illegal fishing gear like gill nets,basket traps etc worth 8.6B at Bugonga in Wakiso in February as well as other illegal fishing gear worth 160M at Rwenshama landing site on Lake Edward in May 2024. By eliminating these tools of destruction, she has effectively curtailed the rampant illegal fishing transactions that were plaguing the lakes, thereby revitalizing the profitability of the fisheries sector. Moreover, her proactive measures have reduced the influence of fish cartels and dismantled the untouchables involved in illegal activities within the AFALU.
- Lt .Col Mercy With Off Loaders After The Opening Of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Fish Market
One of Lt. Col. Tukahirwa’s notable achievements was the reopening of the Mpondwe -Lhubiriha fish market along the Uganda-DRC boarder in Kasese District after a six-year closure. This had come as a result of COVID-19 when the market was moved to DRC side and had never returned to the Ugandan side.This had made over 1000 women & youth to lose their source of livelihoods as well as government of Uganda losing revenue in form of taxes to DRC. In addition to the above is the fact that Mpondwe Town Council’s local revenue had reduced from Ugx600M to Ugx50M due to the closure of this fish market.Therefore the action of reopening the market by Col Mercy not only restored employment opportunities for many youths and women but has also revitalized local revenue generation for the Mpondwe Town council, Kasese District.
Furthermore, Lt. Col. Mercy’s leadership has significantly improved the relationships with all stakeholders in fish value chain.For instance she has provided a platform for the fishing communities to interact freely with FPU personnel like never before on challenges that they face as well as educating them on the benefits of legal fishing and how the country can increase its revenue earnings due to increased fish harvests.In addition to the above,she has also bridged the gap between the different processing companies and FPU. For example, the Managing Director of Nile Perch Company, Mr. Manoj Sreekanta, praised her steadfast guidance, which has resulted in a substantial increase in production to 50 tons of fish per week. This was during her three day guided and sensitization tour of fish processing factories in April this year. As a matter of fact even private fish cage operators like Yalelo have hailed her extraordinary leadership that has intensified security operations on lake Victoria. Her impact extends beyond economic gains, instilling discipline and integrity among FPU soldiers, who have ceased engaging in corrupt practices and brutality, earning back the trust of fishermen.
Looking ahead, the prospects seem promising if Lt. Col. Mercy Tukahirwa is retained as the FPU Commander. Her visionary leadership has instilled confidence among both fishermen and government authorities like fisheries who always thought FPU who undermining their presence and expertise on lakes, fostering a newfound trust in the FPU and the UPDF. With her at the helm, the fishing communities stand to benefit greatly, and the NRM could potentially secure massive victory in these regions by 2026 like never before.
Lt. Col. Mercy Tukahirwa’s exceptional efforts have not only improved the reputation of the UPDF on Ugandan lakes but have also paved the way for sustainable and ethical fishing practices, benefiting both the environment and the livelihoods of those dependent on the lakes for their sustenance.
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