Strategic Legislative Meeting with Members of Parliament

FIAN Uganda on the 29^th April joined other partners to influence legislation on fisheries in Uganda. In partnership with Katosi Women Development Trust (KWDT) and the Network of Public Interest Lawyers (NETPIL), we held a meeting with Members of Parliament from lake regions to express our concerns with the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill 2021, which we thought would exacerbate the appalling state of fisher folk in Uganda.

The strategic legislative meeting brought together a total of 20 members of parliament and 10 other stakeholders including men and women from selected fishing communities, to share their testimonies and express their aspirations on what they would desire to see in the law governing fisheries.

On the 3^rd May, two days after our meeting, the Bill was presented in parliament and a number of our recommendations were considered and the Bill was passed with amendments including removal of the army from management of fisheries and eliminating use of reasonable force by the security operatives in the management of fisheries.

Our engagement preceded use of excessive force by the army to control illegal fishing in Uganda since the year 2017 following a presidential directive. This resulted into evicting a number of fisher people from the fishing activity, sometimes closing landing sites and destroying property and lives.

FIAN Uganda will continue to pursue the cause of improving lives of fisher people for betterment of their livelihoods and to ensure sustainable fisheries.

To download the full report on our interventions for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2021 click here.