By Emmanuel Mawejje
Uganda has launched a regional workshop to promote new global guidelines for sustainable aquaculture, aimed at fostering growth in a sector that is rapidly expanding due to rising demand for aquatic foods.
The workshop, which began on 23rd June, 2025, in Entebbe, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and farmers to chart a sustainable path for aquaculture in Africa, the world’s fastest-growing sector, expanding at an annual rate of 11%.
Uganda has seen it’ aquaculture production increase from 2,300 tonnes in 2002 to about 124,000 tonnes by 2020, accounting for around 22% of the nation’s total fish output.
However, the country faces a significant shortfall in meeting its annual fish demand of approximately 870,000 tonnes. The government aims to boost production to 1 million tonnes by 2025.
Guided by the new Guidelines on Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA) from the FAO, the workshop aimed to inform policies and encourage private sector investment while addressing challenges such as inadequate financing and limited access to quality inputs. Key species produced include Nile tilapia and African catfish.
Participants identified challenges, developed communication strategies for the GSA, and advocated for national action plans.
The workshop’s focus was critical for enhancing food security and economic growth in Uganda and across Africa’s aquaculture sector, which currently supports around 28,200 livelihoods through approximately 20,000 smallholder-operated ponds.
Lionel Kinadijan, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer at FAO noted that the workshop was of a very good importance because it assisted to discuss and promote guildlines that will help in Aquaculture Development, profitable Aquaculture Development, System Aquaculture Development.
Additionally, he explained that Africa has 8 per cent development in Aquaculture, which is the Highest in Africa, and it has a lot of opportunities, adding, “Aquaculture has a lot of economic abilities, external abilities which can help to develop the continent.”
In Conclusion, Kinadijan noted that Aquaculture activities need to be promoted through investment so that it can grow, governance and policy development should be addressed to allow investors to invest in the country.
Fred Formanek, the Managing Member said that Africa has a lot of potential when it comes to aquaculture which is one of the reasons, to why they decided to hold the state holders conference in Uganda.
In addition he emphasized that breeding centers of aquatic animals especially fish should be preserved more to allow production of more fish.
Formanek concluded with an appeal to the government to set up good measures that can protect breeding centres, especially swamps and lakes, which will help to increase the production of fish in the lakes.
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