By Macrines Nyapendi

Uganda’s fish export earnings for 2008 dropped by $5.2m (sh10,244b) to $112.2m (sh221,034b) from $117.4m (sh231,278b) the previous year.

Jackson Wadanya, the assistant fisheries commissioner, said the decline in fish exports and earnings was induced by illegal fishing practices that almost wiped out the Nile perch specie.

Last year, a total of 22,731 metric tonnes of fish were exported to the European and non European countries, fetching $112,218,842.81m while $117,364,068.55 was earned in 2007 from 28,398 tonnes.

In 2005, fish exports made history when they topped $150m from $2m in the early 1990s. The Nile perch is Uganda’s much sought after species both locally and on the international market. It accounts for 95% of the exports. Wadanya said “Illegal fishing practices were fuelled by a burgeoning demand for Nile perch in Europe and Asia.

We (DFR) have contained illegal fishing practices by recalling licensing of boats from districts and setting standards for boats that can be allowed on the five commercial lakes.” He said that the Nile perch’s population in Lake Victoria had drastically declined to less than 50% from a standing stock of 650,000 in 2000.

Nile Perch was introduced into Lake Victoria in the 1950s from Lake Albert and was named Victoria Perch. The purpose was to control the 350 native species. Unfortunately, the predator nearly wiped out all the other species.

A kilogramme of Nile Perch costs between sh4, 000 and sh5,000 at the landing sites while it costs $4.936 (sh9,723.92) per kilogramme on the international market. Four fish processing plants have closed down due to lack of raw materials and the increased cost of production.