Abstract:
This study assessed the willingness of fishermen to adopt the legal fishing gear specifically the
gill nets of recommended size (slot above 4 inches), the sample size was determined using
purposive sampling. Respondents were selected based on specific criteria where individuals
having information or experience about fisheries activities of Namasagali Sub-county were
selected purposively. The sample size was of 30 people (fishermen, fish mongers, sand miners,
and farmers) focused on information rich cases and emphasized on depth over breadth, this
enabled efficient use of resources.
A structured questionnaire consisting of a predetermined set of questions of fitted response
options was used in this survey to collect data from respondents in a systematic and standardized
manner in Namasagali Sub-county Kamuli district (September 2024). The collected primary data
was coded, entered into Microsoft Excel software, cleaned, filtered and then analyzed. The
analyzed data was presented using descriptive statistics summarized in tables, frequencies, bar
charts to assess the associations between variables, such as the relationship between socioeconomic
characteristics and willingness to adopt legal fishing gears. The study examined the
socio-economic characteristics of respondents. The findings of the study indicated that all
respondents (100%) had prior knowledge about gill nets, 75% (23) of the respondents were
willing to adopt the use of gillnets of recommended size if it could increase their catches and
incomes, while 25% (7) of the respondents were uncomfortable with taking up the use of gillnets.
This indicates that there is an increased probability of people taking up the use of gillnets of
recommended size in Namasagali Sub-county. from the study the largest population of the
respondents (47%) fall within the age group of 25-34 years indicating that there is quite a larger
proportion of young people engaged in fishing activities as compared to older groups which
poses an advantage in adoption of new technologies such as the gillnet use. Results from the
study showed that the government through its various programs is highly supporting gillnets
adoption by fishermen, however also various non-government organizations have come to
support adoption of gillnets to ensure the sustainability of fisheries resources in Namasagali
fishing village, these align with previous studies (Kaczynski et al .,2017; Nielsen et al .,2018).
Highly recommend that hands-on training and demonstrations be given to fishermen on the
proper use and maintenance of gill nets and also existing fishing regulations and policies in
Uganda be reviewed and analyzed to ensure they support sustainable fishing practices.
