The team has commenced the planned programme of investigations (see Consultant's Report for 1989). Currently this work is predominantly concerned with the qualitative aspects of the fauna of the Buha river and both qualitative and quantitative investigations at a number of stations on the lake.
The river sampling has concentrated on the sampling station at the road crossing of the Buha river at the west end of the lake. With minor investigations carried out on the Hima river in ._ the south west and the three main inflows along the north shore. The Buha river work is a continuation of the programme of investigations that have been carried out over a number of years by Mr Wang Jiling (Team Scientific Leader).
In the river sampling the team have become proficient in the use of the electro-fishing equipment, a technique that is new to them.
The survey vessel (now named Hai Hu Hao) is proving quite adequate for the survey work. Trips of several days should be able to be undertaken in relative comfort (see comments in section 3.4.2 and Appendix 2). The team has continued the Institute's long-term programme of limnological investigations at a six sample stations. The limnological profiler, supplied through the project, provides a rapid assessment of the main limnological parameters throughout the water column. This equipment is now used without the need for further supervision.
In the experience of most of the team members, this aspect of scientific field work has been considerably neglected. With the availability of the computer spreadsheets, the logging of data and its rapid preliminary analyses and graphical presentation has been much simplified and the team members are becoming accustomed to these techniques (see Appendices 3 & 4) .
Throughout the programme of practical activities and the follow-up data assessment and logging, there is a considerable lack of scientific rigour and attention to detail. Particularly this is found in the the maintenance of the records of the work carried out. Considerable attention is being given to this aspect of the work both in the day to day supervision and in ad hoc seminars.
It is essential that there is a change in the emphasis of the practical approach to the work programme to give more priority to the quantitiative aspects of the ecological investigations. Now that the additional equipment has arrived, this change in approach will be an important element in the supervison and advisory activitities of the Consultant during the next working season.
Administrative difficulties and lack of responsible persons to oversee the logistics and working requirements, leads to considerable inefficiencies in the use of personnel, the available time and the equipment (see section 3.6).
It has still proved impossible to obtain access to ancillary information (i.e. meteorological, lake levels and river flows,, historical information on the land use within the lake catchment area etc.). There is extreme reluctance of government organisations to provide this information, except, in some cases, for exhorbitant sums of money. It has been requested that the NPD takes up this matter at the highest levels in the Provincial Administration.
Training has continued on a day-to-day basis with a close working relationship between the Consultant and the team members. This training is supplemented as necessary by seminars held to discuss the progress of the work and to provide the theoretical background to particular aspects of the programme.
With the major part of the investigation equipment now on site, it will be possible to introduce this to the team members next working season and it is anticipated that the team personnel will rapidly become familiar and proficient in its use.
It will be necessary to complete the final calibration of some of the analytical equipment, when the limnological laboratory is commissioned at the beginning of 1991.
It is proposed that additional cable is purchased for the lake profiler to enable this to be used more efficiently from the survey boat and to enable the deepest parts of the lake to be sampled with ease.
The electrofishing apparatus works well but a small defect in the switching has been discovered. The replacement parts have been provided by the manufacturers and this problem will be rectified at the beginning of next season.
