Uganda Gears Up for First-Ever National Aquaculture Census

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), has announced the launch of the Uganda Aquaculture Census 2025, set to begin in May 2025.

The nationwide exercise aims to provide comprehensive and benchmark data on the structure, scale, and socio-economic dynamics of Uganda’s aquaculture sector.

Under the theme “Leaving No Aquaculture Farm Behind,” the Census will cover every district, city, municipality, and town council engaged in aquaculture activities, spanning all sub-regions of the country including Acholi, Central, East Central, Elgon, Karamoja, Lango, South Western, Teso, West Nile, and Western.

The Uganda Aquaculture Census 2025 will be the first of its kind, providing critical structural data about the sector.

Enumerators will visit all aquaculture farms—both household and non-household operations—to collect detailed information on: the number, size, and distribution of aquaculture holdings, production levels and types of aquaculture systems in use, technologies employed by operators, socio-economic characteristics of aquaculture households and operators and environmental impacts associated with aquaculture activities.

UBOS emphasised its commitment to producing high-quality, accurate statistics to support evidence-based planning and decision-making. The Census aims to empower policymakers, investors, and communities with reliable data to boost the growth and sustainability of Uganda’s aquaculture industry.

“All aquaculture farms, by type, will be visited in both the household and non-household sectors. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) is committed to producing quality statistics to facilitate evidence-based planning,” said UBOS on its X platform.

The Uganda Aquaculture Census 2025 is a major step forward in recognising aquaculture as a key pillar in Uganda’s agricultural transformation agenda.