Fishermen from Nyamyumba sector in Rubavu District operating on Lake Kivu say they have been banned from catching fish, which has left them bankrupt and unable to provide for their families.

“The decision to ban us from fishing was unanimously taken by district officials and we do not expect to resume to work soon because we were not informed before the ban on our operations,” said Damascene Ngendayayo, a fisherman in the area.

“This move has forced me to join fishermen at Lake Kivu targeting high-value fish species, which has resulted in fights and conflicts among us fishermen,” he added.

“We are currently fighting with our fellow Nile perch fishermen because they consider us to be intruders,” said Mr Ngendayayo.

However, in a recent interview with Gilbert Habyarimana, Mayor of Rubavu District, he said that they have never denied any fisherman from fishing.

“It is my first time to hear such a complaint from these fishermen and if anyone stopped them, they did it without the District’s consent,” said Mr Habyarimana.

He said that fishermen who claim to have been banned from fishing should resume their work and if any person tries to stop them then they should immediately go to the District for support.

“We are going to intervene and find out who has banned the fishermen from fishing at Lake Kivu and if found they are going be punished,” said Mr Habyarimana.

Patrick Bagabo, another fisherman at Lake Kivu, blamed District officials for failing to set standards applicable to all fishermen.

“Other than the ban, commercial fishing has become expensive, from fishing nets to fuel, yet we pay taxes,” said Mr Bagabo.

“I had invested a lot in buying all this equipment, but the ban has resulted in suffering for my family,” he added.

In 2012, there was a temporary fishing ban aimed at allowing multiplication of the fish while also sensitising fishing communities on the dangers of irresponsible fishing.

The fishermen at Lake Kivu are grouped in 30 co-operatives in five districts. Currently, the output at Lake Kivu is between 5,000 and 7,000 tonnes.