About Aquaculture Research and Development Centre, Kajjansi

Aquaculture Research and Development Centre, Kajjansi is a national centre responsible for aquaculture research and development in Uganda and is part of the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) Jinja. It undertakes and facilitates aquaculture related research and provides scientific advice to assist the Department of Aquaculture Development, Directorate of Fisheries Resources achieve its vision and purpose.

In doing its work, the centre works with universities, other research institutes/organisations, commercial farmers, farmer groups and communities, fish feed producers, fish buyers, government lead agencies, policy makers and other private Aquaculture specialists/experts.

Aquaculture Research,is led by the Programme leader who is responsible for managing the physical and human resources within the research programme of aquaculture and fish biosciences and has scientists and technicians with specialist expertise and skills appropriate to the area of the research programme. It is important to note that the skills and experience of many staff have a broader applicability across the themes/disciplines. Based on the Aquaculture sub-sector priorities, the programme are conveniently grouped into themes/disciplines based on individual research projects. Projects, therefore, form the basic units under which research outcomes for the program are delivered

Currently the Aquaculture research is structured into four broad research themes/disciplines: 1. Aquatic animal health and bio-security management 2. Production sytem design and management 3. Fish feed development and management 4. Genetic Improvement & Seed Multiplication

World over it is well known that the quantity of fish from capture fisheries has and continue to decline in the face of increasing global consumption related to expanding populations.This trend is also generally true for the Sub-Saharan African including Uganda. It is already recognised and appreciated that aquaculture has a significant potential to provide a reliable supply of fish to bridge the gap created the decline in wild stocks to meet immediate future global protein requirements. Apparently priorities for aquaculture research in Uganda centre around the urgent need to overcome constraints to profitable fish culture. The priorities emphasize the estimated potential for environmentally-Sustainable growth of the entire aquaculture sub-sector versus the costs and benefits involved. The Aquaculture and Fish biosciences programme with will therefore continue to focus on the four major research themes/disciplines identified from constraints detailed in the Draft the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal husbandry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Aquaculture Strategy and Action Plan 2010.