Ugandan authorities have arrested at least 51 fishermen from Remba Island, Homa Bay county who were on a fishing expedition in Lake Victoria.
The officers also confiscated 17 fishing boats and other fishing gear from the fishermen.
Homa Bay Beach Management Unit chairman Edward Oremo said each of the 17 boats had three occupants when the incident occurred.
“51 of our fishermen from Remba Island were on Saturday night arrested by the Ugandan authorities while on their fishing expeditions,” Oremo said.
“We suspect that the number might be more, however at the moment we can confirm that 51 of our fishermen were arrested,” the chairman added.
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The fishermen are said to have passed the fishing borders and entered the Ugandan side of the Lake.
Oremo said it is sometimes hard to locate the exact borders in Lake Victoria while fishing.
“The fishermen are accused of crossing the fishing borders and entering the Ugandan side, an information which might not be true,” Oremo said.
“While in the Lake it sometimes becomes difficult to determine the exact border line however according to reports we have, our fishermen were fishing on the Kenyan side,” he added.
“The arrested fishermen were using the correct fishing gears allowed by the law when they were arrested and being accused of not abiding by the laid down laws governing fishing in Lake Victoria is a lie,” he said.
The matter was reported to Mbita Police Station for immediate action.
The fishermen are currently being held at Lolwe Island in Uganda.
