- Title: Uganda: Small-scale fish farmers lead industry's recovery
- Date: 8th October 2019
- Summary: WAKISO, UGANDA (RECENT) (REUTERS) WIDE OF FISH FARM FISH BEING HELD IN STRAINER FISH FARM WORKERS HOLDING CONTAINER OF FISH EGGS FISH EGGS WORKERS IN POND (SOUNDBITE) (English) SMALL-SCALE FISH FARMER, JUSTUS LUTAISIRE, SAYING: "The fish stocks have been going down as the human population increases so, the gap between supply and demand increases and when it increases the price of fish has been going high so it becomes very clear that it is, it would be unwise to depend on fishing alone. We need to relieve some pressure from the wild stocks by growing the fish ourselves." LUTAISIRE WALKING NEXT TO POND FISH IN POND WORKERS WITH NET IN POND MOUTH OF FISH BEING DOUSED WITH WATER WORKERS WASHING FISH (SOUNDBITE) (English) SMALL-SCALE FISH FARMER, JUSTUS LUTAISIRE, SAYING: "I agree that climate change has contributed to decreased fish abundance in Uganda and in Africa as a while. But also you have to consider it case by case. What do you mean by this climate change as in what several effects. For example there is too much rain, there's flooding, there is washing of all these farm effluents, industrial effluents into the water bodies so you get a lot of algae blooms and this have an effect on oxygen and abundance of fish. Some of them can cause fish kills." WORKERS WALKING PAST POND WORKERS LOWERING CONTAINER INTO POND FINGERLINGS IN POND FISH FEED BEING THROWN INTO POND WORKER THROWING FEED INTO POND FISH FEEDING IN POND MORE FISH FEEDING IN POND WIDE OF PONDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SMALL-SCALE FISH FARMER, JUSTUS LUTAISIRE, SAYING: "We have about 3.6 million fingerling for tilapia and about 200 thousand per month for cat fish which is about 2.4 million fingerlings for cat fish per annum. But we are still expanding, we intend to produce one million fingerlings for each of the species. So we should be having million per annum for the two species." FISH BEING SCALED MEN SCALING FISH IN MARKET FISH IN MARKET MAN / WATER HYACINTH WATER HYACINTH FISHERMAN FISHERMEN WORKING WITH NET
- Embargoed: 22nd October 2019 13:30
- Keywords: Uganda fish farmers Kampala climate tilapia
- Location: WAKISO, UGANDA
- City: WAKISO, UGANDA
- Country: Uganda
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA001B08LN4N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: After years of decline due to overfishing, Uganda's stock of fish is now getting a much-needed boost from the country's small-scale fishermen.
Justus Lutaisire operates a small fish farm in the country's Wakiso district, not too far from the capital Kampala.
With the help of a few workers, Lutaisire maintains a 14-acre farm where they produce up to three million fish per year, mainly catfish and tilapia. Many are fingerlings sold to other fish farmers and the adult ones sold to the market.
Lutaisire said he was prompted to go into fish farming when he saw a gap in the industry.
"The fish stocks have been going down as the human population increases so, the gap between supply and demand increases and when it increases the price of fish has been going high so it becomes very clear that it is, it would be unwise to depend on fishing alone. We need to relieve some pressure from the wild stocks by growing the fish ourselves," Lutaisire said.
Last year, figures from the Bank of Uganda showed that the country exported fish worth $171 million (Shs635 billion), making it the fourth top export after coffee, gold and dried legumes.
According to the United Nations Food and Agiruculture Organization (FAO), Uganda produces up to 15,000 tonnes of fish from aquaculture, including those from fish farms like Lutaisire's, emerging commercial fish farmers and stocked community water reservoirs and minor lakes.
An estimated 20,000 ponds are spread throughout this landlocked country.
But like most countries around the world, the impact of climate change is strongly felt by fish farmers whose businesses are directly impacted by severe rain.
"There is too much rain, there's flooding, there is washing of all these farm effluents, industrial effluents into the water bodies so you get a lot of algae blooms and this have an effect on oxygen and abundance of fish. Some of them can cause fish kills," said Lutaisire.
Despite the challenges, Lutaisire has his sights on expansion as demand grows and market prices keep improving.
"We have about 3.6 million fingerling for tilapia and about 200 thousand per month for cat fish which is about 2.4 million fingerlings for cat fish per annum. But we are still expanding, we intend to produce one million fingerlings for each of the species. So we should be having million per annum for the two species," he said,
The growing number of fish farming in Uganda can only bring good news for now: authorities are hoping that this will ease the pressure on the country's lakes, including the world-famous Lake Victoria.
(Production: Francis Mukasa, Angie Ramos) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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