Fishermen push for factory in Kalangala
Fishermen help soldiers to remove immature fish from a container at Kachanga Landing Site, Lulamba Parish, Bufumira Sub-county in Kalangala District in January last year. Fish dealers have expressed displeasure at the way the fishing business is being handled. Photo | File
What you need to know:
- While meeting the top district leadership, fish dealers expressed displeasure at the way the fishing business is being handled.
- They said they are losing a lot of money to investors or traders who dictate fish prices without factoring in they costs incurred.
The fishing communities in Kalangala are pushing for the construction of a fish processing factory in the district.
The fishermen say a processing plant would add value to their catch before it goes to the market.
“Fish processing would ensure that the product that goes on the market has additional value. The population on the island is on the increase partly because of the fishing activity that generates additional income to the district and the communities,” Mr Adam Ssendege, a councillor, said during a district budget conference last week.
While meeting the top district leadership, fish dealers expressed displeasure at the way the fishing business is being handled.
They said they are losing a lot of money to investors or traders who dictate fish prices without factoring in they costs incurred.
Mr Katumba Samuel, the director for Sustainable Development Initiatives, a fisheries cooperative based in Bufumira Sub-county, said it was a high time the government starts supporting small and medium fish traders.
“If we can have a functional fish processing unit, it will enable us preserve fish to fetch favourable prices in the region,” he said.
Market exploitation
Mr Musoke Living Stone, the chairperson of the board of directors of Kalangala Fisheries Dealers and Producers Association, said: “We produce enough fish in Kalangala but our problem is the market does not favour fish dealers. I believe that we can be middlemen for our own produce. This could be the only chance to earn good money to boost our respective livelihoods.”
The chairperson of Kalangala District, Mr Rajab Ssemakula, in an interview with the Daily Monitor, said a fish processing plant would boost local revenue.
Mr Ssemakula, however, advised the fishing communities to develop a detailed concept paper for the plant.
He sighted two ice-making plants at Kitobo and Mwena landing sites that are idle and have never served their intended purpose since their establishment in 2014.
The ice plants were supposed to reduce the cost of transporting ice from Entebbe for preserving fish.
Mr Baguma Jackson, the district fisheries officer, said the processing plant would enable the fishermen to support the government fight against illegal fishing.
