“The use of dangerous chemicals in fish farming is likely to affect the demand of the fish from our freshwater lakes,” Keefa Kaweesa, a coordinator of the East African Communities’ Organisation for the Management of Lake Victoria Resources told The New Vision of Uganda.
Mr Kaweesa was reacting to a report on a recent study on food safety in the upcoming aquaculture industry in sub-Saharan Africa at a meeting in Kisumu, Kenya.
The report revealed that Uganda would lose fish exports if the use of pesticides, fertilisers and manure in fish farming is not regulated.
The report was presented during a workshop organised by the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala last month.
Dangerous chemicals like lead, mercury, cadmium and DDE (a metabolite of DDT) have been detected in 38 samples of Nile perch, tilapia and African catfish.
Fish farmers use manure and fertlisers to increase productivity of the plankton, a fish feed supplement.
Govt Asked to Check Fish Pesticides
UGANDA - The Government has been urged to control the use of pesticides and fertilisers in fish farming so as to enhance the quality and market competitiveness of the country's fish exports.
