Northern Bahr el Ghazel State directed to lift ban on fisheries activities on Lol River

By Simon Deng

The Northern Bahr El Ghazel State has been directed to lift the ban on fisheries activities on the Lol River

The National Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries issued the directive stating that laboratory examination results had revealed seasonal water mould in fish.

The epizootic ulcerative syndrome is a seasonal water mould which does not pose direct human health risk, said Onyoti Adigo Nyikwec, the national Minster for Livestock and Fisheries.

“I declare that the state government of Northern Bahr el Ghazel has to lift the ban on fisheries activities on the Lol River for our people to go on with their normal lives and food security activities,” said Nyikwec.

Nyikwec said the fungal disease was first reported and diagnosed in Yambio, Western Equatoria State at the watershed of Gangura River in March 2020.

He said the infection at Lol River in Northern Bahr el Ghazel could be attributed to the flow from Congo watershed into south Sudan

In December 2021, an outbreak of fish disease was reported on Lol River pushing Northern Bahr el Ghazel State authorities to impose ban on fisheries activities on the river.

“Recommendations of the report are being worked on by the government of the Republic of South Sudan and its sector development partners headed by United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization,” Nyikwec said.