WESTERN PROVINCE

RUSIZI ­— Police and military authorities in Gihundwe sector, on Saturday, set ablaze illegal fishing nets at Budiki fishing landing site.

The items worth Frw12 million were impounded by marine patrol unit from fishermen at various fishing sites on Lake Kivu during Christmas period.

Many of the nets were netted from Gihaya area in Nkombo sector -Nkombo Island, according to security sources.

"We impounded these illegal fishing nets from various fishermen on Lake Kivu after a tip off from some one.

It seems these people [fisher men] had planned to use the advantage of this Christmas time to smuggle as many illegal nets as they could from Democratic Republic of Congo,” said one of the marine patrol personnel.   

The items included 46 fishing nets of Maningini type estimated at Frw250, 000 each and other 36 of Super-net type estimated at Frw15, 000 each.

After the burning, fishermen and residents on the shores of Lake Kivu were urged to avoid using illegal fishing nets and to avoid fishing immature fish.

They were also asked to always preserve Lake Kivu and its surroundings and to restrain from illicit business.  

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