Driving Fish Welfare in Uganda: The Impact of AFIWEL Fellow Thaddeus Zaabwe

Thaddeus Zaabwe is an aquaculture researcher at the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) in Uganda. His role has given him a deep understanding of local fish farming systems and shaped his approach to fish welfare by focusing on practical, affordable, and context-specific solutions. Working closely with small- and medium-scale fish farmers has helped him appreciate the need to align fish welfare with sustainable practices, productivity, and profitability. His research background has also strengthened his commitment to evidence-based interventions, capacity building, and collaboration with universities, government agencies, private sector actors, and NGOs.
He integrates sustainability by prioritizing stress reduction, water quality improvement, locally available feeds, and environmentally responsible fish farming practices. His role also involves farmer training and stakeholder engagement, which has motivated him to embed welfare education into training curricula while demonstrating that better welfare leads to better productivity.

Challenges in Uganda’s Aquaculture Sector and His Role in Addressing Them
According to Thaddeus, Uganda’s aquaculture sector faces key challenges such as low awareness of fish welfare, lack of national fish welfare guidelines, and limited access to aquatic veterinary services. Farmers often focus on production without prioritizing welfare principles like appropriate stocking density, environmental enrichment, and humane handling.
As an AFIWEL Fellow, he is working to create awareness through training, advocating for the inclusion of fish welfare in national policies, and encouraging research-based solutions to improve productivity. He also aims to contribute to disease management protocols in farms and hatcheries by using his expertise in fish health and farm management.

Skills Gained During the AFIWEL Fellowship
One of the most valuable skills gained by Thaddeus during the fellowship is gaining a deeper understanding of legal and institutional frameworks for animal welfare. He gained valuable perspectives on how other African countries approach fish welfare through collaboration  and interacting with other fellows. One of his achievements during the fellowship is the development of Uganda’s country-specific Fish Welfare Traing Guide.

Event Highlight: AQUAWEL Conference
Thaddeus participated in the AQUAWEL Conference, which focused on the role of fish welfare in aquaculture and policy advocacy. He described it as a turning point because it provided a platform to engage with stakeholders across Africa. The most rewarding part of this experience was interacting with experienced professionals in fish and animal welfare and gaining knowledge to adapt global ideas to Uganda’s realities. A key takeaway for him was the importance of advocating for the inclusion of fish welfare in Uganda’s animal welfare code or as a stand-alone policy.

Applying the Experience in His Work
Thaddeus is now integrating his knowledge by engaging government stakeholders to include fish welfare in national frameworks and encouraging farmers and aquaculture practitioners to adopt welfare practices in their daily operations. He believes that the adoption of Uganda’s Fish Welfare Manual will make a meaningful contribution to improving fish welfare and aquaculture development in the country.

Through its programs, partnerships, and evidence-based initiatives, the Africa Fish and Aquaculture Welfare Program (AFIWEL) is advancing responsible aquaculture and promoting fish welfare across Africa. We are proud to support Thaddeus and commend his relentless commitment to driving this movement forward. This progress is only the beginning, with much more to be achieved as Africa works toward a future where aquaculture is productive, ethical, sustainable and welfare-driven.