Nearly 98,000 tonnes of fish are estimated to cross Uganda’s borders untaxed each year, undermining the country’s fisheries sustainability. A top official believes strict enforcement of existing rules can reverse a rapid decline in the sector, which saw healthy growth to 2019.
by Blue Africa News
The government of Uganda is losing an estimated $1.4 billion (Sh5.5 trillion) driven by rampant smuggling of juvenile fish and the widespread use of outlawed fishing nets, according to the Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association (UFPEA).
Speaking during a recent breakfast meeting on export-led promotion for Uganda’s fish in the capital, Kampala, William Tibyasa, UFPEA Chief Executive Officer said due to rampant illegal fishing activities in the East African nation, fish processing factories are operating at just 22% capacity.
Nearly 98,000 tonnes of fish, he said, are estimated to cross Uganda’s borders untaxed each year, undermining the country’s fisheries sustainability and export potential.
“The Ugandan fish sector is bleeding $1.4 billion (Shs5.5 trillion) annually to illegalities. Factories are underutilised, and untaxed fish continue to slip across borders. We must secure this national treasure,” said the CEO, as quoted by nilepost.co.ug.
At the height of enhanced sector management between 2017 and 2019, Tibyasa said, fish stocks recovered by 30%, the number of processing factories increased from four to twelve, while exports grew significantly.
“Today, the story has reversed,” he regretted, stating that “The blueprint for success exists; what we need is to reactivate it with accountability and strict enforcement.”
Uganda’s fish industry, largely dependent on Lake Victoria – a resource shared by neighbours Kenya and Tanzania, and River Nile – which has its basin covering several African countries, namely; the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt, is estimated at $2 billion (Sh7.8 trillion) annually.
With the European Union (EU), United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) providing the bulk of Uganda’s fish export market, Tibyasa warned that new EU traceability regulations which take effect on January 10, 2026, could further strain the industry if compliance gaps are not addressed.
Responding to his fears, Lynette Bagonza, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, said president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government was “burning the midnight oil” with a view of improving the business environment.
“The government seeks to learn from and collaborate with industry CEOs, experts and stakeholders to unlock the sector’s potential. Together, we can build a vibrant, competitive and inclusive fisheries industry,” said the Permanent Secretary.
Through Uganda’s national development plan, she said, plans are already in motion to increase fish production to 183,000 metric tonnes by 2028, through various interventions, among them infrastructure development, regulatory reforms and promotion of sustainable practices.
Apparently, Uganda is not the only African country putting measures in place against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
In August, 2025, Ghana President John Dramani Mahama assented to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, ushering in a historic milestone in Ghana’s fisheries governance.
“The new Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025, Act 1146, introduces bold reforms aimed at ensuring sustainability, compliance, and improved livelihood especially among the small-scale fishers,” read in part a statement issued by the Public Relations Unit, Ghana’s Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
The legislation was passed by the West Africa nation’s Parliament in July, representing a transformative step towards building a sustainable, equitable, and economically viable fisheries sector that meets international standards.
Highlights of the new Act include establishment of an independent fisheries commission charged with developing, managing, and conserving fisheries and aquaculture resources, strengthening legal and regulatory framework in alignment with international best practices and safeguarding seafood exports, in turn protecting over US$425 million in annual seafood exports by closing compliance gaps and avoiding trade sanctions.
According to Stop Illegal Fishing, an independent non-profit based in Africa dedicated to ending illegal fishing in Africa’s waters, one in four fish in Africa is still caught illegally, despite the efforts of many African nations to combat the problem.
The organisation says huge efforts are being made by the majority of African maritime states to end IUU fishing, but noted that greater momentum is needed to curb the menace.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News