National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 2003/2004

About 18% of Uganda’s surface area is covered with water from which300,000 metric tonnes of fish are produced. Fish are currently the secondmost important export commodity generating approximately US$100 million.Fish provides 50% of protein diet for the 20 million people translating into percapita consumption of 12 kg. Close to the production system, this figure risesto 50 – 100 kg. It is estimated that fishery-related activities employ at leastone million people countrywide (i.e. 5% of the population).Fish is an important source of high quality food, employment, and revenueand it is currently the second most important export commodity next to coffeegenerating approximately US $ 80 million annually. Fish exports to regionalmarkets are worth at least US $ 20 million annually. Fish flesh is rich inproteins, which are superior to those of beef and poultry. Fish flesh containsan anticholesterol which assists in reducing heart diseases. Some fishes areof medicinal value e.g. haplochromines (Nkejje) are used to treat measles.Most of the fish in Uganda is got from lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Albert and AlbertNile, Edward and George production systems as well as from the 160 minorlakes and rivers and the associated wetland systems. Capture fisheries basedin these systems contribute up to 99% of the fish production in Uganda butaquaculture is also picking up. The fishing industry employs up to one millionUgandans.

Bibliographic Details

Other Authors:	Fisheries Resources Research Institute
Format:	monograph biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Fisheries Resources Research Institute 2004
Subjects:	Fisheries,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/1834/32754
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