Africa-Press – Uganda. Fish dealers around Lake Victoria are counting losses following the second Covid-19 induced lockdown that has affected their business.Fish traders say by the time the President announced the lockdown, they had stocked tonnes of fish, especially Tilapia, ready to transport it to various markets in Kampala and other cities and towns.
“Personally, I had prepared four tonnes of tilapia ready for sale at markets in Busega and Bwaise in Kampala, but I cannot take the fish when consumers cannot access the city,” Mr Alex Magambo, a fish dealer in Kalangala Town, said during an interview at the weekend.
According to Mr Magambo, he bought each kilo of Tilapia fish at Shs8, 000, but due to lack of market, he was forced to sell it at Shs5,000.Mr Jimmy Ssekasi, a dealer in Nile Perch in Kalangala District, said they are also affected by the ever dropping prices of fish maw for which Chinese investors are the key exporters.
Hotel market cut off
“Before the President announced the second 42 days of lockdown ,I would mind less about the fluctuating prices of the fish maw since we were selling Nile Perch to hotels and restaurants and we were getting some good money but the market is now affected,” he said.Previously, Mr Ssekasi said he used to sell about three tonnes of fish a day but now he said he can hardly sell a tonne.“If government was caring about our plight, they could buy fish, refrigerate it and save us from incurring losses,” he said.
Currently, a kilogramme of Nile Perch costs between Shs9,000 and Shs12,000 down from 20,000 two months ago, while Tilapia costs Shs7,000, down from Shs12,000. Mr Jackson Baguma, the Kalangala District fisheries officer, advised the affected traders to preserve their fish so that they can sell it when the situation normalises. The lockdown has also affected fishermen who said they are likely to halt their activities if it continues.
“We don’t see why we continue fishing when the market for fish is not there,” Mr Joseph Lubega, a fishermen at Mwena Landing in Kalangala, said.Mr Godfrey Musasizi, the Mwena Landing Site chairperson, said the lockdown has heavily affected their business since hotels, which are their biggest consumers, were closed.Currently, Mr Musasizi said, he only supplies 3,000 kilos of fish fillet compared to 10,000 kilos before the lockdown . Mr Philemon Kudere, the vice chairperson of the fishing community at Masese, said fish buyers from Mbale and Busia are no longer coming because of transport restrictions.
“We have now resorted to selling our fish to factories because the Nile Perch does not need to stay long without being preserved, “ Mr Kudere said. Mr Noor Mugerwa, a fisherman at Kigungu Landing Site in Entebbe Municipality, said a kilo of Tilapia was selling at Shs10,000 before the lockdown but it currently costs Shs5,000.Mr Robert Serugo, the chairperson of Katosi Landing Site in Mukono District, said a kilo of Nile Perch used to cost between Shs13,000 and 11,000, but it currently sells between Shs5,000 and Shs6,000.
Mr Rashid Babu, the manager of Mpongo Company Limited, a firm that manages Lambu Landing Site in Masaka District, said fish dealers are stranded with huge tonnes of fish.Ms Hellen Adoa, the State minister for Fisheries, could not be reached for a comment as she could not pick repeated calls to her known telephone.
By Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Denis Edema, Sylvester Ssemugenyi, Eve Muganga & Derrick Kissa
