Overfishing and the use of contraband nets is threatening to kill off the Ugandan fishing industry. The country's commissioner for fisheries production, Jackson Wadanya, says in 2008 exports were down several thousand tons compared to the previous year, because there simply aren't enough fish left to catch.

Armed police off the Ugandan coast keep watch as thousands of illegal fish nets are burned. The Ugandan authorities say the under-sized nets have become a major contributor to the depletion of Nile perch in Lake Victoria.   After decades of over fishing it now houses a dwindling population.

Jackson Wadanya, says he fears the stock will disappear all together in the near future.

ackson Wadanya, Commissioner for fisheries production:
"Our fisheries today, in all our lakes, are faced with a lot of these pressures. We have lots of fishermen, lots of fishing boats on the water, and big use of under-sized fishing nets, plus other outlawed fishing gears being employed in the fisheries."

The European and Australian markets' big appetite for Nile perch fuels the boundless fishing in the Ugandan region of Lake Victoria, which compels the fishermen to go to great lengths, even over fishing.

But according to 29 year old fisherman, Sendi Robert, even with the high demand of Nile perch, most of the fishermen are incurring losses.

Sendi Robert, Fisherman:
"These days we make a lot of losses, we buy hooks and live bait to catch Nile perch but most of the time the bait dies even before any fish is caught. So quite often we make losses."

Wadanya believes the lack of proper legislation in the fishery sectors to eradicate illegal and detrimental fishing has seen the annual export bundles continue to dwindle.

Jackson Wadanya, Commissioner for fisheries production:
"In 2005 Uganda was able to export thirty six thousand metric tons of Nile perch, but by 2008 we have been able to export twenty three thousand metric tonnes and these show you that kind of variation."

Fish processing factories have been one of the hardest hit by the decline. Forced to operate on below average capacity, they are being subjected to costly expenses to regulate the business.
 

Philip Borel, Chairperson, Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association:
"It's affecting the industry in terms of the fact that there's not enough fish really to run all these factories at reasonable capacity, we are not even talking about full capacity, so currently the factories are running at a small percentage of their actual capacity, so we have too many factories running after too little fish."

In September the government pushed through regulations to bring in new licensing measures, closed fishing areas, and protection for fish breeding grounds.

It also pledged to investigate claims of corruption among officials supporting illegal fishing.

EBRU NEWS