On Thursday, May 11, in Uvira (South Kivu), hundreds of people, including fishermen, lake fish vendors, and other shoppers, went to the streets.
Written by Chris Muhizi Minembwe Capital News 10:30pm Kinshasa Time.
These protesters headed to the town hall from the Kavimvira roundabout with calico in hand to voice their opposition to the decision to ban fishing in Lake Tanganyika.
This decision to stop fishing for three months starting on May 15 was made without any assistance being provided for the fishermen’s survival during this time.
Tyres were burned in the Kasenga district together with boat and canoe wreckage, nets, and dead wood.
Gloire Muramvya, the beach’s secretary, believes that if we must contemplate the lake’s closure to fishing, we should also consider the care of the community that depends on fishing operations.
“They want to impose the closure of fishing on us without supporting us for the three months and without taking charge of the nets that meet the standards of the charter,” he grumbled.
The urban authorities emphasised that this allegation of the fisherman was supported following the gathering in front of the Uvira town hall.
Gloire Muramvya continued, “We have just received their memo, and we are going to pass it along and make a plea to demonstrate precisely that the population is not at all happy with the measure, and that the government which works for this population will see exactly with other partners what is needed in relation to this measure.
Following the discussion with the Uvira municipal officials, the operations started up again tentatively at the beginning of the afternoon.
To be ready for anything, police have been stationed at the city’s hotspots.
