Government restrictions on fishing activities at Lake Albert in Hoima District has resulted in small fish catch, fish scarcity, few consumers, slow business and low profits, lament fish mongers in Hoima City.
High transport costs and taxes are other attributes that fish mongers cite as slowing down the business.
Mr Robert Kisembo, a fishmonger in Hoima city, says the unconducive trade fetters imposed on fishermen have caused a hike in fish price both at the lake and the city market in an attempt to balance the merchandise equation to enable him realise a little bit of money to sustain his business and relatively improve his income.
He does not rule out being pushed out of business if the current low fish supply and the consequent high cost persist should the government continue imposing such restrictions that he says have a big negative bearing on their livelihood.
The fish monger reveals that currently, a kilogramme of fish stands at Shs10,000 up from Shs5,000 on shore and being sold at more than Shs20,000 in Hoima city fish market against the recent price at Shs6,000 and Shs3,000 respectively.
This high price scares away customers who instead resort to other source substitutes like beef.
The tumbling customer purchasing power for the few fish that vendors manage to buy from the Lakers has a negative impact on the sellers who do not have fish refrigerators, an environment that translates into fish going bad, according to another fish dealer who did not want to be identified by name.
In the event of this kind of trade, the fish merchant says she is even unable to maintain her capital to perpetuate her source of livelihood.
