Govt to map fish farming sector with first-ever national aquaculture census

Gulu, Uganda: The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, are set to launch the country’s first-ever National Aquaculture Census aimed at capturing detailed data on fish farming across Uganda.

Scheduled to begin at the end of June 2025, the month-long exercise will cover districts actively engaged in aquaculture and seeks to generate statistics to inform policy and investment in one of Uganda’s fastest-growing agricultural sectors.

According to Mr. Omara Bosco, the Gulu City Fisheries Officer, the enumeration will include both household-based and institutional ventures such as cooperative groups and NGOs.

“We shall enumerate individual farms as well as cooperative groups and organizations like Caritas in Bardege and Layibi divisions, and Favor of God Ministries in Lagoro, which are supporting fish farming,” Omara said.

UBOS Public Relations Officer Ms. Nancy Agnes Anyango said the census will capture production characteristics from hatcheries to feed mills, labor use, water and land utilization, and marketing.

“Whether the produce is for household consumption or commercial markets, we will record every aspect, including demographics, production systems, domestic and permanent labor, and use of machinery,” Anyango explained.

Enumerators who will conduct the census have completed training in Mukono and are now set for nationwide deployment.

Gulu City Mayor Okwonga Alfred welcomed the census, saying it would revitalize fish production efforts, but raised concerns over dormant public projects. “We have a government hatchery on Patiko Road in Laliya that has been idle for over five years. What will they do about it? Will it be included in the census?” he queried.

Gulu City Fisheries data shows that before attaining city status, the area had over 200 operational fish farms, numbers expected to rise once formal figures are released.

UBOS is concurrently conducting two other national surveys, the Education Census and the Labor Baseline Survey, together with the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development.

The education census, currently being rolled out across the country, is collecting real-time data on all government and private schools, including actual enrollment numbers from pre-primary to university level.

The labor survey will map national employment dynamics, job creation trends, skill gaps, and the mismatch between graduates and the labor market. Ms. Anyango said this data is critical for understanding how sectors respond to shocks like COVID-19.

Ms. Apiyo Sarah, a statistician with the Gulu City Planning Department, said the survey data will be central to Uganda’s next development strategy.

“The data we collect today is what will guide tomorrow’s planning and investment, especially as we shift from NDP III to NDP IV,” Apiyo said.