Northern Bahr el Ghazal state government has deployed security officers to control non-compliant fishermen from harvesting fish in rivers and swamps.
Last week, the State Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries issued a temporary ban on early fishing in the state.
This is to control overfishing and increase stocks while helping to rebalance upset ecosystems until October, 2022.
The Ministry said it has witnessed a decrease in mature fish population during harvest.
In a letter seen by Akol Yam FM, the Ministry said the ban is to allow fry and juvenile fish to mature.
It warned violators will be slapped with a fine of 50,000 South Sudanese Pounds.
Some fishermen, however, disagreed with the directives – arguing that they do not have other means of survival since their crops were washed away by floods coupled with the skyrocketing prices of food commodities.
The Director General in the State Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries said the ban has largely been ignored by some fishermen.
“We issued the order since last week but we heard that they [fishermen] are not taking the order seriously,” Luka Manut Jel stated.
He disclosed that security officers have been deployed at the fishing sites to arrest violators.
“We decided to deploy security officers to monitor those fishing points, and I must say it is the only way we can stop these people from fishing now because the fine still remains SSP 50, 000, and anyone that will be found by the security organs will be brought to us and we shall fine him.”
Some of the fishermen told Akol Yam FM that the State government should support their families during the period of the fishing ban.
“Give us some support for the duration you mentioned. If not we shall continue fishing because we also eat the small fishes that we catch with our nets,” a fisherman said.
Heavy rains and flash floods have continued to ravage parts of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state – forcing hundreds of families out of their homes and in dire need of humanitarian support.