Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 03/2012

The political economy of the fisheries sector in Uganda: ruling elites, implementation costs and industry interests

Anne Mette Kjær, Fred Muhumuza, Tom Mwebaze, Mesharch Katusiimeh

February 2012

Danish Institute for International Studies

Abstract

Many sub-Saharan African countries remain dependent upon the exports of a few primary goods, and it has been a challenge to develop new competitive sectors. Why is it difficult to find alternatives to traditional exports? One important explanation can be the political costs it may involve to promote a productive sector. This DIIS Working Paper from of the research project on Elites Production and Poverty examines the political economy of Uganda’s fisheries sector. This sector was a real success and exports of frozen Nile Perch to Europe came close to overtaking coffee as main foreign exchange earner. Then, however, the fish stock declined and in 2011, the fish resource is seriously threatened. The Ugandan government was able to help the fish industry become successful, because industry actors wanted to be able to keep up with European standards in order to survive in the chilled and frozen fillet export industry. They put pressure on ruling elites to support the establishment of effective hygiene and testing procedures. It was not politically costly to help establish laboratories for testing or employing some inspectors to check hygiene at landing sites. These initiatives helped the fishing industry succeed to an extent that helped create interests in the status quo. Fishermen, their dependents, and the fish processors all wanted to maintain a high level of fish catches. However, it was politically costly for ruling elites to enforce fisheries management because strict enforcement was unpopular with fishermen, as well as with many other actors, including security agents who benefitted from illegal fishing. Therefore, the success was not maintained: a pocket of efficiency was established with regard to hygiene and testing, but not with regard to enforcing fisheries management. Overfishing and the near collapse of the fishing sector were the results. The findings show that it is crucial to understand the political economy of a productive sector, including the political costs of promoting it, in order to know whether it will have long term success.