Uganda Launches Initiative to Revitalize Declining Fishing Sector

Uganda is embarking on a significant effort to revive its ailing fishing industry, a critical sector grappling with dwindling fish stocks in natural water bodies and inefficiencies in aquaculture.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries has initiated a nationwide profiling of fish farmers. This exercise is crucial for understanding the current status of aquaculture operations across the country and identifying specific needs for support and intervention.

Recent data, including the Uganda Aquaculture Census Report 2025 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos), highlights a stark contrast between urban and rural aquaculture. While urban areas host fewer but highly productive farms, rural regions are characterized by numerous low-yield operations. Ubos data also indicates that a majority of grow-out farms rely on farm-made feeds, which, despite reducing immediate costs, often provide inconsistent nutrition, leading to slower growth and increased mortality rates.

The urgency to revamp the sector is amplified by the rising cost of living, with dried and smoked fish contributing significantly to inflation. This situation is exacerbated by chronic overfishing and environmental degradation in Uganda’s lakes and rivers, which have severely depleted commercially viable fish populations.

This government-led initiative seeks to provide tailored assistance, potentially including improved feed access, better farming techniques, and enhanced infrastructure, to boost productivity and ensure the long-term sustainability of Uganda’s fisheries. The ultimate goal is to stabilize fish prices, improve food security, and support the livelihoods dependent on this vital resource.

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/inside-move-to-revamp-uganda-fishing-sector-5635396