Visit to the National Fisheries Resource Research Institute (NaFIRRI) in Uganda

Aquaculture is an important and growing industry worldwide. Uganda’s fisheries are a major source of food and are crucial to livelihoods and local economies as well as being an important export. However, increases in production has led to increased use of antimicrobials, which has raised global concerns about antimicrobial resistance.

Dr. Israel Mugezi is a Veterinary Inspector in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries a Fleming Fund Fellow in Animal Health Surveillance. As part of his fellowship program, he visited 10 aquaculture farms last May to learn how antibiotics are used in aquaculture and aims to help policymakers set future guidelines to address the problem.

To learn more about fish farming practices that support minimal antimicrobial use in his country and to see how fish monitoring is conducted by a research institute, he visited the NaFIRRI, which conducts four research programs:

• Capture Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation
• Fish Habitat Management
• Fish Biotechnology and Aquaculture
• Innovations and Postharvest Fisheries

Image

Image

Water quality as a key factor for healthy fish farms

During his visit to NaFIRRI, Dr. Mugezi discovered more than 10 species of fish are farmed at the Institute and sold commercially within Uganda, and that producing quality fish starts with using proper husbandry practices.

While touring the fish hatchery, Dr. Mugezi learned how good water quality management helps reduce nutrients and microbial colonization through water recycling. Most fish farms initially use sterile groundwater, but the addition of fish feed creates a good environment for microbial growth.

Water quality tests are routinely conducted in fish ponds managed by the Institute's Disease and Pathology Department. They confirmed that most of the fish deaths reported by farmers are due to water quality and not microorganisms. Some fish species are very sensitive to water quality, and mortality rates can be as high as 70% if the water is contaminated.

Lessons learned will inform future guidelines for antimicrobial use in the Ugandan aquaculture industry

This visit enabled Dr. Mugezi to gather knowledge on the use of antibiotics in aquaculture farms and how the research institute is addressing antimicrobial resistance.  

As a veterinarian, he is able to educate fish farmers on the importance of water quality to prevent microbial growth. He also plans to encourage farmers to only use antibiotics when necessary and under the supervision of qualified professionals. With his knowledge from different perspectives, he will help policymakers set future guidelines for the use of antimicrobials in aquaculture.

I have gained insight into raising fish with minimal antimicrobial exposure. As a veterinarian, I have learned how to collect, preserve, and transport samples during fisheries disease investigations. I can apply the knowledge I gained during my routine visits to farmers, contribute to fisheries policy discussions, and now establish my own fish farm.

Dr Israel Mugezi

Dr Mugezi is supervised by Prof. Till Bachmann, Deputy Head of Infection Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Diego Robledo, Career Track Fellow in Aquaculture at the Roslin Institute.

Related links

Fleming Fund Fellowship Scheme

Prof Till Bachmann profile

Dr Diego Robledo profile

National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI), Uganda

Dr. Mugezi visits aquaculture farms in Uganda (May 2022)