EVALUATION OF THE ZAIRIAN FISHERIES OF LAKES EDWARD AND MOBUTU

UNDP/FAO Regional Project for Inland Fisheries Planning Development and Management in Eastern/Central/Southern Africa

RAF/87/099-TD/08/90 (En)

RAF/87/099-TD/08/90 (En)

December 1990

EVALUATION OF THE ZAIRIAN FISHERIES OF LAKES EDWARD AND MOBUTU

TABLE OF CONTENTS

F. Corsi

Fisheries Socio-economist
IFIP Consultant

The conclusions and recommendations given in this and other reports in the IFIP project series are those considered appropriate at the time of preparation. They may be modified in the light of further knowledge gained at subsequent stages of the Project. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of FAO or UNDP concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or concerning the determination of its frontiers or boundaries.

PREFACE

The IFIP project started in January 1989 with the main objective of promoting a more effective and rational exploitation of the fisheries resources of major water bodies of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. The project is executed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a duration of four years.

There are eleven countries and three intergovernmental organisations participating in the project: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zaire, Zimbabwe, The Communauté Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs (CEPGL), The Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern African States (PTA) and the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC).

The immediate objectives of the project are: (i) to strengthen regional collaboration for the rational development and management of inland fisheries, particularly with respect to shared water bodies; (ii) to provide advisory services and assist Governments in sectoral and project planning; (iii) to strengthen technical capabilities through training; and (iv) to establish a regional information base.

This document is a report on a mission carried out by IFIP project at the request of the Department of Land, Environment and Nature Conservation of Zaire. The mission' goals were (i) to review and analyze the situation in the Zairian fisheries of lakes Idi Amin/Edward and Mobutu Sese Seko; (ii) to analyze the management requirements of both the fisheries and their associated institutions, especially for Lake Idi Amin, and (iii) to evaluate the opportunities, the strategy and the means needed to relaunch semi-industrial fishing on Lake Mobutu and also to evaluate the impact of such a strategy on small-scale fisheries.

This document includes the mission's conclusions and recommendations as well as three project profiles intended for use in implementing these recommendations.

Mr. F. Corsi is a fisheries Socio-economist recruited by the IFIP project as a consultant.

IFIP PROJECT
FAO
B.P 1250
BUJUMBURA
BURUNDI

Telex : FOODAGRI BDI 5092

Tel. 2.4328

IFIP PUBLICATIONS

Publications of the IFIP project are issued in two series:

A series of technical documents (RAF/87/099-TD) related to meetings, missions and research organized by the project.

A series of working papers (RAF/87/099-WP) related to more specific field and thematic investigations conducted in the framework of the project.

For both series, reference is further made to the document number (08), the year of publication (90) and the language in which the document is issued: English (En) or French (Fr).

For bibliographic purposes this document should be cited as follows:

Corsi F. 1990 Evaluation of the Zairian Fisheries of lakes Idi Amin and Mobutu Sese Seko. FAO/UNDP Regional Project for Inland Fisheries Planning (IFIP). RAF/87/099-TD/08/90 (En): 60p.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Bujumbura, December 1990

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This electronic document has been scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software. FAO declines all responsibility for any discrepancies that may exist between the present document and its original printed version.

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1. Lake Idi Amin
2.2. Lake Mobutu Sese Seko

3. ANALYSIS OF THE FISHERIES OF LAKE IDI AMIN

3.1. Geographical and hydrobiological data; estimates of potential yield

3.1.1. Geographical and administrative factors
3.1.2. Principal fish species
3.1.3. Potential yield
3.1.4. Fishing in hatcheries
3.1.5. Exploitation level

3.2. The Fisheries of Lake Idi Amin and the Virunga Park

3.2.1. Introduction
3.2.2. Brief history of Zairian fisheries within the Park
3.2.3. Monopoly of a single company over fishery activity and the Parks' existence
3.2.4. The IZCN-COPEVI Convention
3.2.5. COPEVI's role in the development of the fisheries of the lake
3.2.6. Restructuring COPEVI

3.3. Fishing craft and gears

3.3.1. Craft
3.3.2. Fishing zones
3.3.3. Fishing techniques
3.3.4. Equipment suppliers

3.4. Marketing and processing

3.4.1. Marketing fresh fish
3.4.2. Salted/dried fish
3.4.3. Fish in brine
3.4.4. Smoked fish