Department of Fisheries Resources (DFR) Uganda

The overall fisheries sector management goal is to ensure increased and sustainable production and utilization of fish and fishery products by properly managing capture fisheries, promoting aquaculture and reducing post harvest losses.

We, the Department of Fisheries Resources (DFR) as the government agency responsible for fisheries management services is mandated to promote, guide and support the fisheries public and private sector partners in sustainable development. We are responsible for setting and enforcing standards and regulations for practices pertaining to fisheries.

Fillets are of high quality and produced under a system of residue monitoring in internationally accredited laboratories

Victoria perch harvested from fresh waters of Lake Victoria

Victoria tilapia harvest from fresh waters by artisans

Processing fish under rigorous inspection system by Competent Authority (DFR) and Voluntary GMP by Industry

Industry user HACCP to reduce risks to consumers

We are involved in creating awareness of sector value, potential and needs; encouraging investment by private sector and local governments; and, promoting fishery product development and export. In all the undertakings, best practice and a precautionary approach to decision-making forms the foundation for rational management.

Our services provide technical back-up related to fisheries and capacity building for Local Governments; provision of information for all stakeholder groups; creation of funding strategies for sector development; and ensuring sustainable resource use through good fisheries policy and good law.

We guide by offering advise to public and private sectors on implementation and adaptation of fisheries policy and law at all levels; advisory on development needs; private sector local and foreign direct investments.

We ensure that there exists appropriate and equitable legal basis for sustainable fisheries management. We continuously monitor the national fisheries standards related to post-harvest quality, best practice and fish food safety. Our monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries oversight is being improved and is part of recurrent operational support to enforce fisheries laws/regulations. We endeavor to implement relevant International Plans of Actions (IPOAs) concerning responsible fisheries.

We make participatory planning and policy-making to form the basis of our objective fisheries management actions. Management and decision making process is ever dynamic. We are capable of responding rapidly and appropriately to changing circumstances. The involvement of stakeholders in planning and policy-making processes is our strength. We strive to promote public-private sector investment partnerships that equitably benefit both the investor and fishing communities. Such investments must be environmentally and socially sustainable. Uganda has one of the best investment destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa (http://www.ugandainvest.com).

Our services provide guarantees for fish food quality and safety. Uganda is harmonized with the European Union market and with major fish markets of the world. We are committed to fish food quality and safety as a cornerstone of our policy to improve the utilization of fish catches and reduce waste and/or post harvest losses. We strive to ensure that the commercial value of harvested fish is preserved and/or enhanced. We know what it takes to safeguard the quality and safety of fish sold to domestic and foreign consumers as we meet their growing expectations.

We undertake measures to achieve sustainable increases in the value and volume of fish marketed for national consumption and export. The services strive to orient fisheries activity towards commercial rather than subsistence production so as to increase rural incomes. In tandem, we strive to increase the market share/value of a variety of fish; and, offer a range of competitive products to achieve sustainable increases in foreign exchange earnings from the export of fish and fish products.

Our services encourage the development and use of pre-packed fish products other products that add value to harvested fish. It is realized there is need to create mechanisms for the provision of access to timely and reliable information to our clients and stakeholders on national and international fisheries market prices. We strive to make use of the Internet and other electronic information systems. We encourage the formation of marketing organizations and training in business skills within the fisheries sector to achieve our management objectives.