In the wake of backlash sparked by comments by fish exporters in Uganda, proposing a ban on consumption of the Nile Perch fish variety, the Association has come out to apologize and correct their position on the matter.
Fish is top on the Ugandan culinary lifestyle considering the country is endowed with several fresh water bodies including Lake Victoria, the biggest lake in Africa.
The varieties that are a staple in homes and restaurants include Nile Perch (known locally as Mputa) which many people enjoy smoked and cooked in peanut sauce.
The others are Tilapia (Ngege), the African catfish (Male) and Haplocromines (Nkejje). The Silver fish (Mukene) is a preference in several households due to its affordability and a mix of preparation.
In Uganda, fish is obsessed over, so much that a fish festival is held annually, to celebrate Uganda’s fish diversity. Revelers gather to have fun while exploring and treating their taste buds to different tastes of fish.
A diet that contains fish has health benefits given its richness in calcium and phosphorus and a great source of minerals such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium
Comments made by members of Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association (UFPEA) earlier this week – proposing that the Nile Perch be reserved for only export to Europe – prompted an outcry from fish lovers in the country who felt their delicacy was being threatened.
The UFPEA Executive had appeared before the Parliament Committee of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to present their position on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill 2021.
In their submissions, they touched on the issue of regulating the fish sector, mainly at the landing sites by stopping illegal unregulated activities characterized by open gutting of fish which causes losses to the government.
The members said unregukated fishing “has left genuine local traders out of businesses and encouraged unlicensed traders who operate without any documents and no tracing where they sell the fish and fish maws”.
In the latest statement released Wednesday, Sujal Goswami, the UPFEA Chairman, has clarified saying “the statement which caused uproar in the media particularly social media was not among the points submitted to the committee for consideration.”
“It was just a matter of suggestion out of the meeting which was not well reported and the meaning misconstrued,” Goswami added.
He says he intended to imply that there is a lot of fish caught and does not go through the legal channels to benefit the economy neither does it go to the local consumption.
“That if we are to safeguard the industry for economic development and employment, this needs to be looked into and channeled through the industry, promote and protect Nile Tilapia which is a local delicacy for the increased populace whose demand for nutrition and food security is increasing,” adds the statement.
The fish export industry under UFPEA only exports about 30 percent of the total fish caught from Uganda’s major lakes leaving 70 percent.
UFPEA contributes 90 percent of the total revenues realized from the fish sector.
The association says this leaves a huge gap between the 90 percent value/revenue realized out of the 30 percent fish handled by UFPEA members and the total revenues lost out of the 70 percent fish caught but cannot be traced after it lands.
