Uganda’s fish exports rise for first time in six years

Kampala- Uganda’s fish exports have started increasing after tumbling for the past six years, raising optimism in one of the leading exports in the country.

Mr Jackson Lovelock Wadanya, the acting commissioner of fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, said Uganda’s fish exports have been declining since 2005.
But latest statistics saw them rising again in 2012 with 2013 preliminary results showing they are still rising.

“Uganda’s fish exports were rising from 1991 until 2006 when they started to decline because of the European financial crisis. The exports have, however, started rising from 2012 results and continue going up,” he said during the final regional Africa Caribbean Pacific fish programme monitoring meeting for Eastern Africa on Tuesday.

Data
According to statistics from Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association, Uganda exported 16,697 tonnes of fish in 2010, fetching about $86,016 (about Shs221 million). However, between 2011 and 2012, the fish volumes exported increased while the revenue declined. The country then exported 16,478 tonnes in 2011, fetching $89,093 (about Shs229 million) that rose last year to 18,255 tonnes of fish but fetched $88,293 (about Shs227 million).

Mr Wadanya says they have many policies geared at improving the fisheries sector and hope will take it to greater heights.

African Caribbean Pacific programme regional manager from Eastern Africa Koane Mindjimba said they have managed to support improved fisheries policies and management, reinforce control and enforcement capabilities, national and regional research strategies, improved business support and private sector investment.

Under the Shs10.3 billion five-year programme that winds up in November, the fisheries sectors in the beneficiary countries were supposed to identify, formulate, implement, and evaluate projects to improve their economies.
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