Govt to use armed forces to stop illegal fishing in Lake Victoria

From IPP Media/The Guardian, Dar es Salaam
By Prosper Makene 

The government is preparing to deploy soldiers from the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) on Lake Victoria in a move to combat illegal fishing activities, which have become rampant.

The wanton practice has led to reduction of number of fish in the lake, forcing some fish factories to close down.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Guardian on Monday, Livestock and Fisheries Development deputy minister Kaika Telele (photo) said the government has finally decided to involve all the armed forces’ departments - TPDF, Police Force, Prisons, and auxiliary police in combating the menace.

Telele said the decision comes after the government established that similar measures taken by Ethiopian and Ugandan governments proved successful.

“Uganda and Ethiopia have successfully curbed illegal fishing in their respective countries. This has led us to decide to borrow a page from the two in order to save our country,” he said.

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