Uganda has over 350 species of fish. The two major species caught for commercial purposes are the Tilapia and Nile Perch. The other types of fish are the Protoperus, Rastrinabola, lung fish and cat fish. The Nile perch is arguably the largest fish one can catch in Uganda. They can weigh more than 220kgs. Introduced in Uganda in the early 19th century, they dominate the waters of Uganda.

The Nile Perch is often caught using the smaller tiger fish as a bait. The Tiger fish has beautiful colors of the rainbow but are very resilient with sharp teeth and hard jaws. Other large fish in Uganda are the lung fish and Tilapia.

Tilapia is the most preferred fish eaten in Ugandan homes although the small silver fish is gaining popularity for its nutritious value. The River Nile and Lake Victoria are arguably the two best fishing spots in Uganda.

• Revenue in the Fresh Fish market amounts to US$0.63bn in 2023. The market is expected to grow annually by 10.12% (CAGR 2023-2028).

• In global comparison, most revenue is generated in China (US$52bn in 2023).

• In the Fresh Fish market, volume is expected to amount to 50.76m kg by 2028. The Fresh Fish market is expected to show a volume growth of 9.8% in 2024.