Started in the early 1960s, Bugoto is a permanent gazetted landing situated in Bugoto Parish of Bunya County, approximately 60 km southeast of Iganga. Two Fisheries staff are posted here and also assigned responsibility for four other landings, including Musubi (20 boats), Nduwa (30 boats), Bubinge (10 boats) and Budumbere (6 boats). However, their operations are severely handicapped by lack of transport, field equipment, and stationery.
Bugoto is active between 0730 to 0930 hours each morning for fresh fish landings and from 1300 to 1430 hours each Thursday afternoon for processed fish deliveries from outlying sites. Although the access road is sometimes impassable, supplies of gear, fuel, and provisions are generally available. A market is held twice a week, and maintenance services for boats and equipment can be readily obtained. The community is comprised of about 140 households with a total population of some 500 to 600 people. Housing is both of the temporary (mud-walled, thatched roof) and semi-permanent (mud-walled, corrogated iron sheet roof) and does not seem to be in short supply. Sanitary facilities in the form of pit latrines have been built for most of the houses, but there is no clean, protected water supply. Social amenities include one primary school, one private clinic, and one maternity clinic.
There are 100 fishermen and 40 boat and gear owners. Frequent mobility of fishermen out to Jagusi, Masulia and Bumba is reported due to a high incidence of net theft at Bugoto. Migration also occurs at times of poor catch rates from the fishing grounds around the landing. The Bugoto Fishing Co-operative Group is developing to assist local fishermen as a savings and credit and input supply agency. Currently 24 individuals are registered as members.
A total of 64 usable boats are reported, of which 44 are used for fishing and 2 for outboard-powered transport. The remaining 18 units are non-operational due to lack of nets, explained by the high incidence of theft which exists. Each boat operates with 3 crew and a set of 8 nets. The catch is said to be shared on a very precisely calucalated basis of 32% to crew, 20% to boat owner and 48% to gear owner. Daily catches may be as low as 500 kg and as high as a tonne or more, depending upon the season. Catches consist mainly of Nile perch and tilapia, with some occurrence of Protopterus and Clarias.