Enabel in Uganda was awarded with the Development Partner Award at the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum held in Jinja city on 6th December 2025. The recognition celebrates Enabel’s sustained commitment to promoting responsible fisheries practices and strengthening the sector through its projects: WeWork—green and decent jobs for youth—and Advancing Respect for Human Rights by Businesses in Uganda.

The forum, organised by the Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association (UFPEA) in collaboration with Enabel, brought together government representatives, development partners, private sector actors, academia and community stakeholders for a day of learning and strategy-building around Uganda’s blue economy.

Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Richard Ogutu-Ohwayo, Coordinator at the African Lakes Network and an independent researcher, emphasised the urgent need to address corruption within the fish value chain. He stressed the importance of stronger policies, better resource management and enhanced human resource capacity to ensure a transparent, well-governed sector.

Dr.  Konstantine Odongokara, a research and policy expert, highlighted the need to domesticate international policy frameworks into Uganda’s aquaculture systems and build the capacity of stakeholders to access regional and global opportunities in the industry.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Dr. Godfrey Dheyongera stressed the importance of collective action in achieving Uganda’s production targets of one million metric tonnes from aquaculture and 700,000 metric tonnes from capture fisheries. He encouraged broader adoption of aquaculture to ease pressure on wild stocks and support diversification of fish species.

UFPEA Chairman Rakesh Shetty thanked Enabel for sponsoring the event, noting that while fisheries remain central to food security, employment and exports, the sector continues to face challenges ranging from pollution to illegal fishing and governance gaps. “Our sector is strongest when we work together,” he said.

Representing Enabel, Umut Pamuk, the WeWork Project Manager in the Busoga region reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to promoting green and decent jobs across the fish value chain. He noted the sector’s potential to create meaningful employment while protecting the environment. Hosting the forum in Jinja—at the source of the Nile—further emphasised the region’s importance for fisheries and sustainable tourism.

During the panel session, Enabel’s Business and Human Rights Expert, Moreen Kiiza emphasised that the fisheries value chain is deeply linked to rights related to food, livelihoods and decent work. She noted that international markets increasingly expect exporters to demonstrate human rights due diligence. “Beyond the fish, we must remember the human beings driving this value chain,” she said.

Enabel’s Agribusiness Expert, Valentina Moltisanti, highlighted the organisation’s continued collaboration with UFPEA on policy engagement, value chain development and capacity strengthening. She noted that fisheries and aquaculture remain priority sectors for creating decent work opportunities for women, youth and persons with disabilities under the WeWork project.                                                                       

The discussions and commitments made at the forum reflected a shared determination to safeguard Uganda’s fisheries resources while expanding opportunities for the communities that depend on them. With continued collaboration among government, private sector actors, development partners and local stakeholders, the sector is well positioned to transition toward a more sustainable, inclusive and economically vibrant future.

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