More patrol boats stationed to guard Lake Victoria

The Tanzanian government has purchased 19 speed patrol boats to guard Lake Victoria against environmental pollution and unscrupulous fishing methods, press reports said. This brings to 25 the total number of boats purchased for this purpose. According to the Tanzanian 'Daily News', Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Zakia Meghji said the government was "determined to end the practice of fishing with chemical substances in the lake". "We are doing everything possible to wipe out the poison fishing in Lake Victoria to enable the country to earn its rightful income by exporting fish fillets to the lucrative European Union market," she said. The EU has banned imports of fresh and frozen fish products from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda following reports that some fishermen have been using pesticides.