Women living on the shores of Lake Albert in Buliisa district have resorted to selling firewood to fend for their families as the new fishing regulations bite harder. Lake Albert fishermen are currently facing severe economic hardships due to the enforcement of the new fishing regulations.
The new guidelines, aimed at promoting sustainable fishing and protecting fish stocks, limit each landing site to 100 licensed fishermen and 30 boats.
They also re-inforce the ban illegal fishing gear, restrict night fishing for silverfish (mukene) using solar-powered lights, require mandatory licensing for fishermen and fishmongers, prohibit permanent shoreline structures, and prescribe penalties for illegal fishing.
Under the regulations, the army has resumed oversight of fishing activities, while those found using illegal gear or engaging in prohibited fishing practices risk prosecution, including imprisonment of up to eight months.
However, according to women in Buliisa, the new fishing regulations have barred their husbands from accessing the lake yet the lake is their sole source of income and livelihood.
Without their husbands accessing the lake, life has become extremely difficult forcing women to embark on firewood business to fend for their families.
In most homes, women have become the breadwinners through the collection and sale of firewood.
The women often spend many hours a week collecting firewood to fulfill their daily domestic needs, sometimes walking more than ten kilometres into the Bugungu wildlife conservation area to collect enough firewood for just one day.
After collecting the firewood, the women display the bundles by the roadside along the Hoima-Buliisa road for sale where people from various areas from within Buliisa and destinations go to buy.A bundle of firewood in the area range from shillings 10, 000 to 15,000.
Christine Akumu, a resident of Walukuba landing site in Butiaba Sub county wakes up as early as 6 a.m, to go and collect firewood for sale in order to fend for her family.
She states that immediately the new fishing regulations came into force, life became difficult since her husband can no longer be allowed to access the lake. She explains that she treks a distance of 15km to and from daily into the bush to collect firewood.
Doreen Katusiime, a resident of Kabolwa landing site explains that she wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to walk into the Bugungu wildlife conservation area to gather firewood for sale to look after her family.
According to Katusiime, a bundle of firewood costs between shillings 10,000 and 15,000 making it easy for her to get some money to buy food to provide for her family.
Jackline Atimango, another woman and a resident of Somsio landing site states that, most men including her husband have been rendered jobless following the introduction of the new fishing regulations and as a result, women are the ones now with the responsibilities of looking after families. She says, through the collection and sale of firewood, women are currently able to provide for their families on a daily basis. She is earns 10,000 to15,000 shillings daily basis from the sale of firewood.
For Fortunate Wabyona, a resident of Magali fishing village in Butiaba town Council, the task ahead of them is still huge if the fishing regulations are not relaxed to allow their husband access the lake.
She states that, engaging in the firewood business is not only time-consuming noting that, the task of gathering firewood often puts women’s lives at risk including attacks by stray animals including elephants and Buffaloes among other challenges.
Rosylne Atugonza, a resident of Bugoigo landing site said, the task of collecting firewood to fend for their families has increased domestic violence since most men accuse their wives of delaying in the bush. She says some woman have reportedly been beaten by their husbands for delaying to return home from them bush while collecting firewood.
“Recently one of the women here was severely beaten by her husband because she was delayed returning home from the bush while collecting firewood,“ she said.
Glady’s Oyenyboth, the Chairperson Women Council Buliisa district Local government acknowledged the challenges being faced by women in the district as they fend for their families.
She says most women have become breadwinners in their homes through the collection of firewood after the government started enforcing the new fishing regulations.
Kamanda Kabagambe, the LC3 Chairperson for Buliisa sub county also admits that women are faced with a number of challenges as they enter into the bush to fetch firewood including encountering wild animals like Buffaloes and elephants that stray into the neighboring communities.
He has appealed to the government to relax the fishing regulations to allow fishermen access the lake to provide for their families.
Ibrahim Musa, a fisherman and former LC3 Chairperson for Butiaba town Council says, most families in the area are going through untold suffering following the enforcement of the new fishing regulations with some hardly depending on a meal a day.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, illegal fishing includes using nets smaller than five inches for tilapia and seven inches for Nile perch, as well as operating fishing boats that are less than 20 feet long.
Lake Albert is home to an estimated 56,000 fishermen who harvest more than 100,000 tonnes of fish annually. The fishing industry supports the livelihoods of more than 1.6 million people across Uganda.
Government statistics indicate that Uganda’s fish production has recovered to about 680,000 metric tonnes, a gain attributed to sustained enforcement against illegal fishing and the promotion of sustainable fisheries management-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
