Kitgum — Eighty-five percent of fish farmers in Kitgum District have abandoned aquaculture after soaring feed prices and prolonged dry spells rendered the venture unprofitable, officials say.

District Fisheries Officer Alfred Omony told Uganda Radio Network that the rising cost of commercial fish feed has forced many farmers to stop stocking and managing ponds. Although over 80 fish farmers are registered in the district, only 15 remain active.

A kilogramme of quality fish feed now costs about Shs4,500, while lower-grade feed sells at Shs3,500 but results in slow growth and stunted fish. Sarah Aber, who started fish farming in May 2025, said manufactured feed—mostly imported—accounts for up to 70 percent of production costs, with a 20kg bag selling at Shs80,000.

Veteran farmer Sisto Okwera blamed erratic weather for worsening losses, noting that ponds dry up during peak dry months, forcing costly water pumping or seasonal shutdowns. He urged government support to lower feed costs and build farmers’ capacity to produce feed locally.

Although the district has acquired two feed pellet-making machines, farmers lack training to mix nutritionally adequate feed.

The decline in local production has pushed up fish prices in Kitgum, with tilapia and catfish now selling at Shs15,000–20,000 per kilogramme, largely sourced from outside the district. A December 2025 district report called for farmer grouping, climate mitigation measures, and skills training to revive the sector.

UK retailers enjoyed rapid growth in sales of certified sustainable seafood last year in the past year, says the Marine Stewardship Council.

MSC says there are now almost 1,000 MSC labelled fish products sold under supermarkets’ own brands.

The £1.7bn consumers spent on 189,000 tonnes of MSC labelled products represents a 14% increase on the previous year.The primary driver behind this growth is the doubling of MSC certified skipjack tuna products available on shelves in the last year, a continuation of the upward trend that’s seen sales of canned and jarred MSC labelled tuna soar from £24.3m in 2020 – 2021  to £269.1m in 2024-25. 

Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here

Now in its fifth edition, the Women in Ocean Food Innovation Studio brings together women-led ocean food ventures from across Latin America for a ten day in-person programme that launches a 12-month, equity-free support initiative to bridge the gap for female founders in the blue economy.

Launched in La Paz, Mexico on 26 January, the studio is targeted at women-led ventures advancing climate-positive solutions across aquaculture, marine biotech, seafood value chains, ocean conservation and blue carbon. 

Source: The Fish Site | Read the full article here

The enclosure from Aquafarm Equipment has been installed at a Cermaq site in Norway and will soon be stocked with a test batch of salmon.

With installation and testing complete, the project is entering a phase of test production at the Horsvågen site in Hamarøy, northern Norway.

According to Aquafarm Equipment, the facility is ready to receive fish this week, and test cycles will start from the end of January.

Through its work with the facility in Horsvågen, Aquafarm Equipment particularly highlights the importance of stable and controlled operating conditions.

Author: Ulrik Tallhaug Sydnes / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here

Professionals from traditional fishmongers, represented by Fedepesca, denounce the “ongoing media harassment” surrounding fish and aquaculture products. They are doing so now, after the Christmas season, a particularly sensitive time when, they point out, “there were countless news reports about anisakis, antibiotics, and other well-known and controlled risks for which health authorities have issued simple recommendations to the public,” making them completely safe.

These alarmist reports, “lacking any journalistic rigor or respect for those who work in the sector”—and which occur not only during the Christmas season but also during periods of low news coverage—only succeed, the fish retailers lament, in creating unfounded distrust that drives consumers away from products essential to a healthy diet

Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here

A Scottish fishery that plays a major part in sustaining a whole island community has been certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Standard for sustainable fishing for a third time, securing a prosperous future for the shellfish fishermen of the Shetland Islands and the surrounding marine environment.

The good news about the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO) brown crab and scallop fishery’s MSC recertification extends to consumers too, as the scallops are widely available across the UK in branches of Waitrose and Whole Foods.

Source: Fish Focus | Read the full article here

Icelandic salmon farmer Kaldvik has issued a profit warning, citing weaker prospects for the first quarter of 2026 following early harvesting and a decline in salmon prices.

In a statement released on Friday, the company said several factors since its third-quarter presentation had negatively affected its outlook. As a result, Kaldvik said it may be at risk of breaching one or more financial covenants under its senior loan facility during the first quarter or later in 2026.

Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here