1. Since 1959, FAO has rendered technical assistance to Uganda to promote the fish culture industry. By 1966, there were 7 000 fish pond units, covering some 720 acres (290 ha) and estimated to be producing about 112 tons of fish/year. In general, the ponds are small and shallow, averaging 0.1 acre (400 m2) with a depth of less than one meter. These are hardly suitable for commercial fish culture operations. Indiscriminate construction of fish ponds in sites unsuitable for this purpose is prevalent.
In order to promote commercial operations, technical information service on site selection with regard to water supply, soil, fish-pond layout and construction should be more closely carried out. Construction of bigger and deeper ponds with adequate dikes and water control facilities should be promoted.
2. The serious problem of an inadequate seed fish supply for stocking ponds should receive high priority for solution to contain the growing needs of the fish-pond industry. Fish fry centres should be improved, expanded and given an adequate operating budget and facilities.
3. The practice of providing existing private fish-pond enterprises with stocking materials, feeds and equipment for operations like sampling and harvesting should now be gradually discontinued and the private operators be given technical assistance to carry out the operations themselves.
4. The Kajansi Experimental Station should be expanded, improved and given adequate facilities to carry out research programmes needed to solve technical fish culture problems peculiar to the country. More advanced training in research for its senior staff is recommended and should be provided in the future.
5. The need for training extension personnel is urgent. The establishment of a training centre for this purpose, by FAO or other appropriate external agencies, should be encouraged, but extreme care should be taken in formulating the training programme for such a centre.
