COUNTRY FILES (Contd.)

UGANDA

1. GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE (Welcomme, 1979a)

Uganda (with a surface area of 236 000 km²) is a high plateau dipping to the southeast to the Lake Victoria Basin. The west of the country is traversed from north to south by the western area of the Great Rift Valley. There is a high mountainous chain, the Ruwezoris, in the extreme west; to the southwest the Bufumbiro volcanoes block the Rift Valley. In the east a chain of volcanic peaks stretches north to south with Mounts Moroto, Kadem and Elgan. The rest of the plateau consists of rolling hills with extensive papyrus swamps in their valleys. There is one major barrage: Owen Falls, across the point where the White Nile leaves Lake Victoria.

Although Uganda lies astride the equator, any climatic severity is eased by its altitude. In the wettest areas along the western shore of Lake Victoria there are two rainy seasons (February-June and April-December). Although the twin season pattern also prevails over the rest of the country, the north and west are much more arid.

Uganda's population is almost entirely rural and scattered, growing staples such as plantains and corn and cash crops such as coffee, cotton and tea.

2. HYDROGRAPHY (mainly adapted from Balarin, 1985c)

In general, Uganda has an abundance of water resources covering an area of nearly 44 000 km². This area is made up of over 36 000 km² of open water, 5 100 km² of swamps, and over 2 000 km of main rivers. Nearly 10 000 permanent springs with a minimum flow of 3.6 m³/hr has been recorded. The Government of Uganda (1967) also reports the existence of 4 400 boreholes (mean depth 100 m), 963 earth dams (7 m walls) or deep (5 m) ground storages for dry season water holding of 4 500 m³ for cattle and domestic use, and 3 300 ha of reclaimable swamp suitable for cultivation.

2.1 Lakes

Uganda has an extensive lake system covering over 38 500 km². It comprises Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga, as well as the Rift Valley Lakes (Edward, George and Albert). Lake Kyoga is, in essence, an extension of the Victoria Nile. It is relatively shallow with numerous estuaries and swamps.

2.2 Rivers, Floodplains and Swamps

Uganda lies almost wholly within the White Nile Drainage Basin flowing to the Mediterranean. About 10 regional drainage basins exist, mainly associated with the lakes (see Fig. 1). In the southern part of the country almost all watercourses draining the plateau flow into Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga. They are characterized by broad shallow valleys, slow moving water and swamp conditions. On the Northern Plateau almost all the watercourses, including River Achwa (or Aswa), are seasonal in flow, due to the dry conditions. The higher mountains of the borders have vigorous perennial streams flowing swiftly down the slopes, in steep river valleys.

The longest river is the Victoria Nile, with a discharge of 1 100–1 700 m³/sec. By far the largest river is the Albert Nile, which carries almost all of Uganda's runoff.

Over the greater part of western and central Uganda, where upwarping of the Rift Valley has reversed river flows, old drainage courses and their tributaries are now occupied by swamps totalling 5 180 km² (Fig. 1).

A distinction is to be made between grassy swamps (57%) and papyrus swamps (43%); the former are mainly seasonal, the latter permanent. About 6% (915 km²) of the area is considered reclaimable for cultivation. Lake Kyoga, in particular, is characterized by fringe swamps covering over 230 km².

2.3 Reservoirs

Other than the Owen Falls hydroelectric dam across the White Nile River near its outflow from Lake Victoria, there are no major impoundments. The Owen Falls dam does not regulate the water level of Lake Victoria to any significant extent although the latter, strictly speaking, acts as a “reservoir” for the hydroelectric plant.

A great number of dams have been constructed throughout Uganda. Government of Uganda (1967) lists 963 ponds, mainly in the Ankole, Teso and Karamoja districts where dry conditions necessitate seasonal water storage. Many have been stocked with fish.

2.4 Coastal Lagoons

There are none; Uganda is landlocked.

3. FISHERY PRODUCTION/POTENTIAL

3.1 Aquaculture

Aquaculture has been applied both to the classical rearing of fish in ponds for subsistence consumption and to the extensive practice of stocking natural water bodies and reservoirs. Both have contributed substantially to fish production in Uganda.

Peak development of aquaculture occurred in 1968 when fish farming was carried out in 11 000 ponds over 410 ha, yielding 800–900 t/yr of fish. TDRI (1983) estimated production at 200 t/yr; however, latest estimates have been more radical: 30 t in 1983; 38 t in 1987 (Vincke, 1989, pers.comm.).

Aquaculture is entirely in the hands of subsistence farmers with small ponds of 100 to 400 m².

Table 1. FISH FARMING PRODUCTION IN UGANDA, 1953–1983
(cited by Balarin, 1985c)

3.2 Fish production and per caput supply

Table 2. FISH PRODUCTION AND PER CAPUT SUPPLY - Uganda, 1970–1987

¹ Source: FAO
² Source: FAO Fisheries Dept. FISHDAB/Govt. of Uganda
³ included in “Inland capture” if not specified
⁴ -: data not available
⁵ Vincke, 1989 (pers.comm.)
⁶ TDRI 1983 estimate: 78 000 t

3.3 Inland catch range and potential yield

Table 3. INLAND CATCH RANGE AND POTENTIAL YIELD - Uganda

* not included in total as part of the Kyoga Lakes Complex
** Sources: see text

Table 4. TOTAL CATCH, UGANDA, 1972–1986 ('000 t)

Source: Fisheries Department, Entebbe, Govt. of Uganda, cited in TDRI 1983 (1972 to 1981) Statistisches Bundesamt Länderbericht Uganda 1988 (1982 to 1986)

TDRI ESTIMATES FOR 1983
(TDRI, 1983)

4. STATE OF THE FISHERY

4.1 Yield (after Balarin, 1985c)

Official statistics (Tables 2, 4) show a steady rise in overall landings to a peak of 232 000 t in 1978, falling to 172 000 t in 1983. Lake Kyoga provided from 54 to 79% of the catch.

It is also reported that 15 000 canoes, averaging four fishermen per canoe, support at least 40 000 families. Government figures even suggest the existence of 20 000 fishermen dependent on lake and river fisheries - about 100 000 or more families.

TDRI (1983) re-examined the statistics and considers the 1982 catch to average only 78 000 t. A significant source of error was considered to be the Lake Kyoga statistics (estimated to be exaggerated by 91 000 t). Reduction in the individual size of the Nile perch emphasized overfishing. Considering that efforts to rehabilitate the fisheries will increase production, and assuming the development of a recently established Nile perch fishery in Lake Victoria, target yields were set at 147 000 t. It is of interest to note that Nile perch stocked into Lake Kyoga in 1954 now yields over half of the catch (FAO, 1982b). Lake Victoria, stocked in 1960, now yields 30% of the catch (TDRI, 1983).

It is likely that the Nile perch fishery has developed at the expense of the smaller species stocks and therefore the potential might more closely approximate the lower yield targets of 147 000 t/yr. However, the fishery in Uganda has not been examined critically for some time and there is an urgent need for an updated stock assessment.

4.2 Factors influencing yield

All the major fisheries have extensively declined over the past decade, but there is no reliable data to develop an accurate status of the situation. TDRI (1983) indicates substantial reduction in net size and number, and a decrease in motorized boats. Statistics in the 1970's showed 20–25 nets per canoe on Lake Kyoga, but this is now reduced to only seven. Reduced catch has meant that a large portion of the fishermen are now also engaged in agriculture (Balarin, 1985c).

The Lake Victoria potential yield figure has been inflated by TDRI (1983) in anticipation of continued high production of Nile perch over the next few years; after a period of some years (possibly as short as 5–10 years) production is anticipated to fall off to around 35 000 t (TRDI, 1983).

Fig. 1. LAKES, RIVER BASINS, SWAMPS AND RIVERS OF UGANDA
(after Balarin, 1985c)

4.3 Future development possibilities (after TDRI, 1983)

While it is accepted that production can be increased by inputs of gear and engines, TDRI (1983) do not consider it realistic to expect a return to the very high production level of 223 000 t recorded in the official statistics for 1978. To obtain the recommended yield proposed will demand the capability to monitor and manage the fisheries. Many of the fisheries will soon become heavily exploited, and heavy overfishing could lead to a serious loss of production that would take many years to recover.

5. KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY

Balarin, 1985c

6. WATER BODIES DIRECTORY

LAKE ALBERT (= MOBUTU)
(International water)

Sources :
* 1966–81: Fisheries Department, Entebbe, Govt. of Uganda, cited in TDRI, 1983
** 1982–86: Statist. Bundesamt Länderbericht Uganda, 1988
*** Giudicelli et al., 1987

Fig. 2. LAKE ALBERT/MOBUTU
(after Welcomme, 1972)

Fig. 3. LAKE AND RIVER SYSTEM IN S.W. KIGEZI
(after Visser, 1962)

LAKE BISINA (= SALISBURY)

LAKE BUNYONI

LAKE EDWARD (= IDI AMIN)
(International water)

Miscellaneous sources
(Note: Due to the variety of sources and methods used, these estimates do not necessarily reflect the actual catches.)

* includes Lake George and Kazinga Channel

Definite sources (in tons)

* includes Lake George and Kazinga Channel

Potential annual yield: (in tons)

* includes Lake George and Kazinga Channel

Key reference: for Lake Edward: Vakily, 1989

Fig. 4. LAKE EDWARD/IDI AMIN
(after Welcomme, 1972)

LAKE GEORGE

Total catch:

* includes Lake Edward and Kazinga Channel
** average yield, 39-year period

Potential annual yield

* includes Lake Edward and Kazinga Channel

Fig. 5. LAKE GEORGE AND THE SURROUNDING CRATER LAKES
(Welcomme, 1972)

LAKE KACHIRA

Fig. 6. THE ANKOKE AND KOKI LAKES OF UGANDA
(Welcomme, 1972)

LAKE KATWE

LAKE KAYUMBA

LAKE KIJANEBALOLA

LAKE KWANIA

LAKE KYAHAFI

LAKE KYAMWIGA

KYOGA LAKES COMPLEX

The introduction of Oreochromis niloticus and Lates niloticus (among others) between 1954 and 1957 produced the decline of most of the indigenous fish population. By 1969, these two introduced fishes comprised more than 80% of the total commercial catch.

The Kyoga fishery appears to have been most productive in the 1970's. A decline in the catch from the lake was noted in the early 1980's and by 1985 L. niloticus constituted less than 20% of the total commercial output. O. niloticus had become the single dominant species in the fishery. It has been suggested that the use of seines in the shallow waters of Kyoga is partly responsible for the decline of the Nile perch.

Total annual catch:

* (Welcomme, 1972)
** includes White (Victoria) Nile River

Potential annual yield: Lake Kyoga Complex: 65 000 t (TDRI, 1983)

Fig. 7. LAKES OF THE KYOGA SYSTEM
(after Welcomme, 1972)

1969 catch data from Welcomme (1972)
1971–81 catch data from Fisheries Dept. figures
1988 catch data from ADP Survey estimates

Fig. 8. KYOGA LAKES COMPLEX CATCH, 1969–1988
(Marriott et al., 1988)

LAKE MULEHE

Ionic composition: (Talling & Talling, 1965)

Fisheries data
No. of fishermen: 33 in 1969
Total annual catch: 27.76 t in 1969

LAKE MBURO

LAKE MUTANDA

LAKE NABUGABO

LAKE NAKIVALI

Total annual catch:

LAKE NYABIHOKO

LAKE NYAMUSINGIRE

LAKE OPETA

LAKE SAKA