Uganda’s waters have reached worrying levels compelling government to announce strong measures to reverse the situation from turning into a crisis. The fish stocks dwindled to such an extent that government is expected to lose $60 million in fish export earnings in 2008 from the figure of 2007. It is said that the situation has turned so grim that formal export earnings will decline tremendously, informal illegal regional trade in immature fish will go up from $35 million to $55 million over the same period.
Illegal trade in immature Nile Perch has greatly influenced the already bad situation for fish processing factories in Uganda. The minister of state for fisheries Mr. Fred Mukisa informed that the status of the fisheries sector is not good and blamed the technocrats in the sector who he said ignored research findings that many times indicated that there was a growing problem of dwindling fish stocks in the country. He added that the government is now ready to cope with the situation.
The export industry which started with two fish processing factories, has grown to 18 fish processing plants, but eight of them have since closed shop due high cost of production, low fish catches and insolvency among others, explained the experts. Mukisa told that the current crisis is a deep rooted one that has developed over time in the last 10 years, but worsened in the past two years to unprecedented levels.
Mukisa also added that uncontrolled licence of fishing has created havoc. He told that some BMUs (BMUs are made up of members from the fishing communities), promote illegal fishing practices, lack capacity and knowledge to effectively perform their work.
