Uganda News

On several lakes, the government has threatened to prohibit fishing.

Illegal fishing tactics, according to Adoa, have resulted in the significant fall of fish such as Nile Perch, particularly in Lake Victoria, affecting the country's forex earnings.

Hellen Adoa, the Minister of State for Fisheries, has vowed to outlaw fishing on lakes and other bodies of water by December if fishermen continue to participate in unlawful fishing.

Illegal fishing tactics, according to Adoa, have resulted in the significant fall of fish such as Nile Perch, particularly in Lake Victoria, affecting the country’s forex earnings.

“From November 2015 to February 2017, there was a significant increase in fishing illegalities, which resulted in a decrease in fish catches. However, with the deployment of the FPU in 2017, there was a noticeable increase,” she stated.

Adoa told the reporters in Kampala that international demand for fish, particularly nile perch and its products, has surged.

Domestically, she said, demand for tilapia is rising, while silver fish is required for animal feed production.

Despite the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces’ (UPDF) efforts to rid the lakes of unlawful fishing, Adoa claims that the available fish is still insufficient to meet domestic and international demand.

The quantity of fish produced by fish factories decreased in 2020 as a result of the natural disasters, particularly the Covid-19 pandemic and floods in some locations. Some factories may be forced to close as a result of the decline.

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