FAO raises awareness on responsible practices in small-scale fisheries during Jinja Fish Festival 2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with Small Scale Fisheries (SSF) partners and value chain actors (Fishers and Fish Workers, researchers, academics, and training institutions) organized the 7th edition of the Jinja Fish Festival from 6-7 December 2025 in Jinja, Uganda. The festival created awareness on Uganda’s National Plan of Action for Small Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF) and created a unique platform for dialogue, networking, and public engagement. The event highlighted the role of small-scale fisheries in livelihoods, nutrition and national economic development, in line with the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines).
The two-day festival, supported by FAO through the project “Enhancing equitable, climate-resilient and sustainable SSF through SSF Guidelines implementation”, featured several activities related to small-scale fisheries. The project supported information dissemination for the festival, “Save Lake Victoria from bad practices campaign” marathon kits, “Safety at Lake campaign” Boat Rowing competition, and funded SSF women exhibitors from three different groups.
“Beyond celebrating fish, the festival serves as a strategic platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration that advances sustainable small-scale fisheries and responsible environmental practices,” said Moses Bakora, Team Leader at Sustainable Fisheries Initiative. “I am happy it was a success.”
Strengthening participation of small-scale fisheries representatives
| Through the project “Enhancing equitable, climate-resilient and sustainable SSF through SSF Guidelines implementation,” FAO supported the participation of SSF actors in the festival which ensured that small-scale fisheries representatives—especially women—were not only participants but active contributors and beneficiaries of the festival’s networking, marketing, and learning opportunities. “The Jinja Fish Festival 2025 provided a very good end-of-year opportunity for the Kiyindi Women Fish Processors Association,” said Perus Logose, Chairperson of the Kiyindi Women Fish Processors Association supported by FAO. “Attending it made us gain popularity and provided a market for our products like fish sausages, samosas, and snacks. We sold products, networked and, above all, we were given an award as best performers in the SSF-women category.” Similarly, Martha Nangobi, a leader for Women of Hope Katosi, highlighted the exposure and innovation the festival offered: “It provided a rare opportunity to meet young innovators from universities and research institutions exhibiting digital marketing strategies that I had never thought about. Thanks to FAO for funding our group members—every year seems to be presenting something new to us.” |
Kiyindi women fish processors represented by Perus Logose and Christine Namirimu show off their award from the festival. Photo by Moses Bakora (Sustainable Fisheries Initiative (SFI).
Save Lake Victoria Marathon
The 5 and 10km marathon’s objective was to create awareness on the need to save Lake Victoria. It was flagged off from Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization Offices, a regional organization responsible for management of the Lake to Across the Nile resort by Hon. Munaaba Edward Paul, the chief guest of honor, a cultural leader from the Busoga Kingdom. In his remarks, he emphasized the need to protect the fisheries of Lake Victoria which resonates with the culture of Busoga kingdom whose main source of livelihood is fishing.
Launching Save Lake Victoria Marathon at LVFO Offices. Photo by Moses Bakora (Sustainable Fisheries Initiative (SFI).
“Safety at Lake”
The festival also featured a boat rowing competition as a campaign to raise awareness on safety at the lake. Fishers face increasing risk in the lake because of frequent strong waves associated with climate change, creating increasing need for them to mitigate the effects of such changes though regular use of Life jackets by fishers and travelers, adhering to recommended size of fishing boats and avoiding over-loading of transport boats. The competition mobilized fishers for an awareness talk by technical team organized by FAO and Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) specifically on safety at lake. The competition attracted 15 fisher groups from over 500 members of the fishing community at the Masese landing site. The best five groups were awarded protective gears while the community was advised to embrace the practice of wearing protective gears while on the lake.
High-level multi-stakeholder forum
A break-away session of the festival hosted a high-level multi-stakeholder forum consisting of resource partners, researchers, academicians, fishers, Government representatives and investors reaffirmed the importance of partnerships, responsible resource use, and inclusive participation—particularly of women and small-scale fisheries actors—in building resilient and sustainable aquatic food systems.
Participants of the multi-stakeholder forum at the event. Photos by Moses Bakora (Sustainable Fisheries Initiative (SFI).
The forum reinforced the festival’s broader message: sustainable small-scale fisheries require coordinated action, community ownership, and continued investment in awareness and capacity building.