Access to reliable fisheries data in Uganda is now available via a mobile application called e-CAS.

The app allows lake management officials, researchers, and policymakers to easily access comprehensive information on fisheries data from Lakes Albert and Victoria, enabling them to make informed decisions about fisheries management.

The app has the potential to accommodate an unlimited number of data sets, including fisheries surveys, aquaculture, socio-economics, and marketing. With over 12,000 data records already documented and consolidated in one place, the app has significantly reduced the time and cost associated with traditional manual approaches. The sustainable development of fisheries for wealth creation, employment, and food security is now more accessible thanks to e-CAS.

In 2021, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) coordinated the development of e-CAS, a mobile app for fisheries data, by NaFIRRI and regional research institutes in Tanzania and Kenya. The app is now available for free download on Google Play Store, and the NutriFish project in Uganda has already embraced its benefits. NaFIRRI and the Directorate of Fisheries Resources plan to expand the use of e-CAS to all lakes in Uganda.

Moreover, the success of the app in Uganda and Tanzania makes it easier for other countries to adopt it, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, which shares Lake Albert with Uganda. Ghana also launched a similar mobile app called Fish Farm Tracker at the end of last year, which provides an automated solution for managing fish farms, including data collection, business management, and water quality monitoring.

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