Kampala — FISH production has increased from 285 tonnes in 1999 to over 50,000 tonnes by the end of 2007, the fisheries state minister, Fred Mukisa has said.

"This has been possible with increased profits from fish and the availability of quality fish feed," he said.

Mukisa was speaking at the five-day regional workshop organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Monday.

The workshop was attended by delegates from Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

"The sector supports up to 21,000 farmers and an estimated 200,000 livelihoods. If constraints in the systems could be addressed, the production is projected to reach 150,000 tonnes over the next three years," Mukisa said.

"Fish is currently number two to coffee in export earnings, with Nile Perch and Mukene (silver fish) taking the highest percentage of fisheries products," he added.

Fish exports to premium markets have increased from $0.4m in 1998 to over $145m annually for the last 10 years.

Since the opening of the premium markets, fish factories have increased from two to 18, the minister said.

He said there was a significant depletion of fish due to its increased value, adding that fishermen had increased causing over fishing in the lakes.

Mukisa said lakes Edward and George hardly produced any fish, while Lake Kyoga's fish production had dropped from 167,000 tonnes in the 1980s to less than 55,000 tonnes annually. Seven factories closed as a result of reduced fish supplies from the lakes.

Percy Misika, the FAO representative in Uganda, said the workshop would focus on how to increase fish production through fish farming.