Abstract:

Fish maws in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya are mainly traded fresh, dried and frozen. Fresh maw
dominates the local and regional trade, where it is processed and exported by majorly Chinese
companies as dry maw. Most of the maw which is obtained by the fish factories after filleting is
sold as fresh maw to the maw processors for drying. Sometimes some of the fish processing
companies export maw in frozen state. The most preferred maws are extracted from Nile perch of
four (4) kilograms and above, yielding maws equivalent to or more than 80 grams. Most of the
maws are exported to China through Hong Kong, whereas some are exported to Japan.
Most fish maws are extracted in fish factories after filleting. This is followed by cleaning off all
the fats, and placing in containers ready for sale. At the maw factory, the maw is cleaned once
again and dried in the sun, packaged into gunny bags, weighed, and labeled ready for export. Maw
worth US$40 Million is reported to have been exported from Uganda in 2017. There are about 17
regional traders of maw and 20 exporters from Uganda. Some maw smuggled from Tanzania and
Kenya is exported through Uganda.