The Minister responsible for Fisheries Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Hon. Jonathan Byalosuka Wata, together with the Governor of Ituri Province, H.E Jean Bamanisa Saidi, officiated over the technical handover of modern integrated fish landing sites on 12th October 2020. The landing sites will facilitate processing of about 6,480 tons of fish annually, and serve around 14,528 fishers on the trans boundary Lakes Edward and Albert shared by D.R Congo and Uganda. The delegation also visited the almost complete fish research and water quality monitoring stations and a multipurpose meeting hall for fishers’ committees at Kasenyi on Lake Albert and fish cold rooms at Tchomya and Kyavinyonge.
The facilities were constructed by D.R Congo under the Lakes Edward and Albert Integrated Fisheries and Water Resources Management (LEAF II) project of NELSAP-CU that is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through a grant and loan to Uganda and D.R Congo respectively and a grant to NELSAP-CU from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).Speaking after the event, the Hon. Minister thanked NELSAP-CU and the funders of the project AfDB and GEF for the support they have accorded to D.R Congo and said that his country had witnessed immense benefits from the LEAF II project.“The patrol boats from LEAF II are being used to do surveillance and eradicate insecurity on the two lakes, while the mobile research laboratory, when fully equipped and operational, will help us to monitor the lakes’ quality of water,” the Hon. Minister said. He added that these tools are the most important for protection of D.R Congo fishery resources on Lakes Edward and Albert.
“I greatly appreciate the investments that LEAF II project has made in the Eastern D.R Congo and my office will always be ready to support and ensure that completed projects serve the people of Ituri Province and the D.R Congo in general,” said the Governor H.E Jean Bamanisa Saidi. Also present at the event was the Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Mr. Guerchole Dramani and LEAF II Project Coordinator for DRC Mr. Jeff Matunguru.
Through the LEAF II project, D.R Congo has constructed four modern integrated fish landing sites at Tchomya and Mahagi Ports on Lake Albert, and at Vitshumbi and Kyavinyonge on Lake Edward. Each of the sites comprises of fish handling and processing facilities, administration block, staff house, sanitation facilities, and landscaping, paving and fencing. There are cold rooms at Tchomya and Kyavinyonge and a surveillance research station at Kasenyi