State Minister for Fisheries Robert Migadde was blocked from accessing a warehouse in Jinja City where the Ministry suspects illegal fishing gear is being stored.
Speaking during the attempted inspection, Migadde said the government has continued to spend heavily on enforcement operations against illegal fishing activities, yet illegal fishing gear continues to enter the country.
“Everybody knows that we have rules as far as fisheries, especially fishing gear, is concerned. We’ve been struggling, with government spending a lot of money to run after people in the lake,” Migadde said.
He noted that the government spends about Shs2 billion every year on operations aimed at curbing illegal fishing activities on Uganda’s lakes.
“Every year, we spend Shs2 billion just to run after people in the lake, and people have always been asking, ‘But why do you run after people in the lake when you can stop the importation of illegal gear?’” he added.
Migadde said the Ministry received information through its networks that illegal fishing gear had been imported into the country and that a consignment was currently being held at the Jinja warehouse.
According to the minister, the consignment is subject to clearance by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
He explained that if the importer fails to obtain clearance within the stipulated 30 days, the goods could be destroyed.
“We got information through our networks that illegal fishing gear has been imported for quite a very long time. So this time, there is a consignment here. Of course, we have been told that after 30 days, if this person doesn’t get clearance from the Ministry of Agriculture, it will be destroyed,” Migadde said.
He further alleged that the owner of the consignment had not applied for the required clearance and would not do so because the gear was allegedly illegal.
The minister’s attempt to access the warehouse was, however, blocked, preventing the Ministry from carrying out the inspection.
Authorities are expected to establish the contents of the consignment and determine whether the items contravene Uganda’s fisheries regulations.
VIDEO: State Minister for Fisheries Robert Migadde has been blocked from accessing a warehouse in Jinja City that the Ministry suspects is being used to store illegal fishing gear.#NTVNews
📹Masiko Godfrey pic.twitter.com/0HxCOiRXcx— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) August 13, 2026
