APPENDIX A
List of Delegates and Observers

MEMBERS OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE

Kenya

ODERO, N.
Director
Fisheries Department
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
P.O. Box 58187
Nairobi

CHOMBA, C.N.
Senior Secretary
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
P.O. Box 30126
Nairobi

Tanzania

LIBABA, G.K.
Director of Fisheries
Fisheries Division
Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism
P.O. Box 2462
Dar-es-Salaam

KILLANGO, A.B.C.
Senior Fisheries Officer
Fisheries Division
Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism
P.O. Box 2462
Dar-es-Salaam

MAPUNDA, X.E.
Fisheries Economist
Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism
P.O. Box 9372
Dar-es-Salaam

MROPE, R.A.
Chairman and Managing Director
Tanzania Fisheries Corporation (TAFICO)
P.O. Box 4296
Dar-es-Salaam

KIWALAKA, Y.M.
Regional Natural Resources Officer
P.O. Box 200
Mwanza

MTOLELA, J.C.L.
Regional Fisheries Officer
P.O. Box 226
Mwanza

KAYUNGI, J.M.
Ag. Principal
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

KATUNZI, E.F.B.
Fisheries Research Officer
TAFIRI-Mwanza Fisheries Research Centre
P.O. Box 475
Mwanza

NKAKA, E.J.
Manager, Mwanza Boat Yard
TAFICO
P.O. Box 1577
Mwanza

MAPUNDA, R.
Fisheries Officer
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

NDUNGUMBI, Z.
Fisheries Officer
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

KIRENGA, J.
Fisheries Economist
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

SEKIKUBO, H.S.
Refrigeration Engineer
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

KIKAREH, S.M.
Food Technologist
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

MTIESA, J.R.
Skipper
TAFIRI, Mwanza Fisheries Research Centre
P.O. Box 475
Mwanza

KASSULAMEMBA, M.T.
Assistant Fisheries Officer
P.O. Box 200
Mwanza

KASOGELA, J.
Assistant Skipper
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

HIGIRO, T.M.B.
Fisheries Assistant
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

MAHATANE, A.T.
Fisheries Officer
Fisheries Institute Nyegezi
P.O. Box 1213
Mwanza

ISINGO, Y.S.
Officer-in-Charge
Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI)
Mwanza Fisheries Research Centre
P.O. Box 475
Mwanza

Uganda

BIRIBONWDHA, A.
Commissioner for Fisheries
Fisheries Department
P.O. Box 4
Entebbe

KANYIKE, E.
Deputy Commissioner for Fisheries
Fisheries Department
P.O. Box 4
Entebbe

UNDP

REYNOLDS, P.
Deputy Resident Representative
UNDP
P.O. Box 9182
Dar-es-Salaam
Tanzania

Observers from Member Nations not members of the Sub-Committee

The Netherlands

WITTE, F.
Biologist
Haplochromis Ecology Survey Team
Nyegezi
Mwanza
Tanzania

FAO FISHERIES DEPARTMENT

KAMBONA, J.J.
Chief Fishery International Institutions and Liaison Unit
Representative of the Assistant Director-General
Fisheries Department
FAO
00100 Rome, Italy

GAUDET, J.-L.
Senior Fishery Planning Officer
Fishery Policy and Planning Division
Fisheries Department
FAO
00100 Rome, Italy

WELCOMME, R.
Senior Fishery Resources Officer
Fishery Resources and Environment Division
Fisheries Department
FAO
00100 Rome, Italy

BEN-YAMI, M.
Fishery Industry Officer
Fisheries Technology Service
Fishery Industries Division
Fisheries Department
FAO
00100 Rome, Italy

Observer

European Economic Community

BROWN, D.
Agricultural Adviser
P.O. Box 5244
Kampala
Uganda

SECRETARIAT

APPENDIX B

Speech by Mr G.K. Libaba, Director of Fisheries, Tanzania to the First Session of the (CIFA) Sub-Committee for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria Mwanza, Tanzania, 12–14 October 1981

My colleagues, the Directors of Fisheries from Uganda and Kenya, representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNDP, Distinguished Representatives of International Organizations and Donor countries, dear co-workers of the Fisheries Division and its institutions, Mr Secretary, ladies and gentlemen.

On behalf of my Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Honourable Isaac Sepetu and my Principal Secretary Ndugu Julius Sepeku, may I welcome you all to Tanzania and to Mwanza in particular. Let me deliver their greetings and best wishes to you all for a successful conclusion of this First Session of the (CIFA) FAO Committee for the Inland Fisheries of Africa's Sub-Committee for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria.

It has been a great honour for Tanzania to host this First Session of the Sub-Committee. Tanzania not only cherishes coordinated effort in the development and management of the fisheries of Lake Victoria, but we also take keen interest in cooperating with fisheries staff from neighbouring states. We are guided by the general observation that fish recognize no man-made boundaries. If that is the case then whatever management efforts that we may take in one part of the national area without similar efforts being taken in national waters of neighbours then we are sure that the exercise is bound to be futile.

Ever since the demise of the East African Community and its institutions in 1977, fisheries scientists, technicians and administrators have been missing a mechanism of exchanging notes and experience on the management and development of the fisheries of Lake Victoria.

An opportunity then arose during the Fourth Session of the FAO Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa which was held in Blantyre, Malawi, in December 1980 when during that session the Kenya delegation proposed the establishment of a CIFA Sub-Committee for Lake Victoria in order to coordinate fisheries research and development activities on this major lake shared by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It was further proposed that the terms of reference should be similar to those of the CIFA Sub-Committee for Lake Tanganyika and should cover those activities previously undertaken by the independent and now defunct Lake Victoria Fisheries Commission. Tanzania supported this proposal. A specific request was made to the CIFA Secretariat to study the matter, prepare draft terms of reference and take the necessary action to satisfy the aims of the participating countries.

Another opportunity arose at the meeting of the Commonwealth Ministers of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development held in Dacca, Bangladesh when an informal meeting of the representatives from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania was held in February 1981. This meeting again was convened in order to discuss the need expressed by member countries that the Lake Victoria Fisheries Commission should be revived. The Commonwealth Secretariat then discussed the possible re-establishment of the Commission with the Assistant Director-General of the Fisheries Department of FAO who had assured the Secretariat that FAO would provide the necessary advise and guidance if requested to do so, by the countries concerned. It was then agreed that representatives of the three countries should meet in May at the time of the COFI meeting in Rome in order to further discuss the steps to be taken to make the Commission operational.

FAO took up the matter and arranged a meeting that took place in Rome, in May 1981 during which representatives of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania agreed on the draft terms of reference of CIFA Sub-Committee for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria and mode of action.

My colleagues, I have laboured to trace the history of the establishment of this Sub-Committee in order to assure everybody that this is an institution which is borne out of the wishes of member states of FAO who also happen to share the fishery resources of Lake Victoria. At this juncture, dear colleagues, Tanzania wishes to thank FAO for the timely action they have taken to fulfil the wishes of member states in providing a forum for the exchange of notes and experience on the development and management of fisheries of Lake Victoria, we also wish to thank the commonwealth Secretariat for adding up to the vigour that has brought us here at Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria. The Sub-Committee Session is indeed taking place at the right environment.

The task ahead of us calls for increased interest in formulating action programmes that will ensure the realization of our intentions.

My colleagues, you have taken up most of your valuable time to listen to a history which you very well know; but it is important for others to know so that our intentions are well known by everybody.

I have been assured by the town authorities that the keys to this beautiful town of Mwanza were already handed over to you all in absentia. I have been told that some of you have already taken some of your time off to discover what is in between the cracks of the rocks that protrude in some of the bays of the lake shore. Take your time peacefully and I am sure you will come out with lots of beautiful stories of Mwanza as a town worth revisiting if not emigrating to altogether.

It is befitting at this juncture to congratulate Mr Kambona for having been appointed First Secretary of this CIFA Sub-Committee for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria. Indeed Mr Kambona is becoming a special envoy in the establishment of these institutions for I had the opportunity of working with him in his capacity as First Secretary of a sister Sub-Committee for Lake Tanganyika.

In conclusion I wish to convey my personal good wishes for a successful meeting. A cocktail party has been prepared tonight at the New Mwanza Hotel to which you are all cordially invited.

Thank you.

APPENDIX C

Statement on behalf of the Assistant Director-General, Fisheries Department, FAO by J.J. Kambona, Chief, Fishery International Institutions and Liaison Unit, Fishery Policy and Planning Division, Fisheries Department

Distinguished Delegates and Observers, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to transmit to you the warm greetings of the Director-General of FAO, Mr Edouard Saouma, and those of Mr Kenneth C. Lucas, the Assistant Director-General of the Fisheries Department, and to extend their best wishes for the successful and fruitful meeting.

I want to begin by expressing on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization, and I am sure on behalf of delegates of this First Session of the Sub-Committee for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria of the Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa, sincere thanks to the Government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania for making it possible to hold this meeting in this beautiful town of Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria. I would like to thank the Tanzanian Organizing Committee for their excellent preparation and for making each of us feel very much at home here and on our arrival in Tanzania. Again speaking for the Food and Agriculture Organization and for fisheries people generally, I think this is a very opportune time to take note of some other Tanzanian contributions for which we are grateful.

First of all, Tanzania has actively participated in the promotion of cooperation in fisheries, not only in East Africa but also at various other fora, such as at the sessions of the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, at the Non-Aligned Conferences, at the Organization of African Unity, and at the Council and Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization, itself. We are aware that the people of Tanzania have made a dramatic demonstration over the years of how much can be done in the way of fisheries development, once a commitment to sound and sustained effort is made. Over the last two decades Tanzania has built itself, right from ‘scratch’, into an active fishing nation. Its training facilities, research centres, its infrastructure, all are tributes to the vigour with which this country has striven to derive maximum economic and social benefits from the aquatic renewable resources. Having gained much experience through all these endeavours, Tanzania can now make a substantial long-term contribution to fisheries progress in the region which is served by this Sub-Committee of the Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA).

The Fisheries Department of FAO and your colleagues, the other members of CIFA, are keenly interested in the outcome of your deliberations. There is a long tradition of cooperation in this region, and seeing the Directors of Fisheries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania together is not much of a novelty. But what makes this a special occasion is that this is the first time that you meet as members of the Sub-Committee for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria of the Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA), which was formally established a few months ago following the recommendation made at the last session of CIFA held in Blantyre, Malawi, 8–12 December 1980.

Other sub-regional bodies similar to this one were also set up last year. Under the Indian Ocean Fishery Commission (IOFC) bodies have been established for the Bay of Bengal, and for the Southwest Indian Ocean. Under the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) a Sub-Committee has been established for the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, and under the Indo-Pacific Fishery Commission (IPFC), and one for the South China Sea. All are further steps to implement our FAO Member Nations policy for adjustments to the structure and operation of regional fishery bodies to allow decentralization of decision-making and delivery of technical assistance services for fisheries management and development. As can be seen from the foregoing list, this is the first Sub-Committee of its kind dealing exclusively with the freshwater fisheries.

The main objectives of these sub-regional bodies are: (1) to ensure the full involvement of the countries in the work of FAO Regional Fishery Bodies dealing with shared resources, or fisheries, or other common problems in what we call natural management areas, and (2) to provide these bodies with locally-based multidisciplinary technical support so as to promote self-reliance among the countries concerned.

Let me explain the terms “natural management area”. By this term we mean an area where a group of countries share fish resources, have similar or common fisheries problems and opportunities, or have other social and economic interests in common. They are groupings, so to speak, that need and are willing to work together, are natural cooperators and would mutually benefit from such cooperation. The Lake Victoria region is obviously one such area.

This session is being held at a time when important and far-reaching changes are evolving in world fisheries. We are also meeting here at a time when the African Governments are striving to implement the Monrovia Strategy which was adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and aims, in its effort to arrive at food self-sufficiency, to increase among other things, fish production from African marine and fresh waters by 1 million tons by 1985. This goal, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, would permit a rise of one kilogramme in the level of average per caput annual consumption, by Africans by 1985.

As we begin our session here in Mwanza, we find that we are also motivated by similar sentiments which have been expressed concerning the development and management of the fisheries and the widely expressed desire to face collectively the fisheries problems of Lake Victoria, recognizing the fact that effective and long-term solutions cannot be achieved by any one state acting individually.

We have a full agenda ahead of us and I will not delay proceedings with a lengthy address. I would only like to say this: when reviewing your opportunities, your problems and your requirements, you may wish to bear in mind important remarks which were made at the time when the recommendation on the establishment of your Sub-Committee was made at Blantyre in December last year.

It was stated then that a CIFA Sub-Committee for Lake Victoria should be established in order to coordinate fisheries research and development activities on this second largest body of freshwater in the world, shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Thus, in view of its broad functions, the Sub-Committee will be in the best position to formulate and implement a coherent and harmonized policy for the development and management of fisheries in Lake Victoria. I would like further to add that this Sub-Committee could play an active role to bridge gaps or to avoid the risk of duplication of effort, as well as to marshall bilateral and multilateral aid in a coordinated manner.

This will require the combined efforts of delegations and of all those whose function it is to provide technical or financial assistance to your governments. I am therefore particularly pleased to see here the representatives of some aid donor agencies. Their presence and their cooperation will undoubtedly assist us in adopting specific recommendations and achieving concrete results.

Allow me now just to call your attention to the two substantive items on your agenda.

Agenda Item 4 deals with the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria. Here we will be concerned first with a review of the present status of the fisheries of the lake and have the chance to discuss opportunities and contraints for further exploitation of the resources, to decide what further work on assessment and management needs to be done, and what are development needs.

The effectiveness of fishing activity and its regulation are prime determinants of the kind, quality, cost and quantity of fish finally made available to the marketing sector. However, it is apparent that considerable disagreement over both the need for and the methods of management exists among those concerned with regulations of the fishing industry. This can be traced in part to the extraordinary complexity of the factors bearing on the dynamics of fish populations in the waters of Lake Victoria and the impossibility, under the current prevailing situation, of obtaining data of the required type and degree of accuracy on a lake-wide basis. Individual research and the steady improvement of statistics gathered from a national fishery, unfortunately, cannot be expected to reduce entirely the area of disagreement over facts. Furthermore, the continuance of this state of uncertainty over the size of stocks and the need of appropriate management measures will hamper the future development of the fishery resource.

Consideration of cooperative research activities which could jointly be undertaken is therefore highly desirable if the three riparian states are to achieve their avowed aim of better utilization of the available fish resources.

Under agenda Item 5 there will be an opportunity to review and decide on priorities especially with respect to actions requiring regional cooperation, and on the future activities of the proposed Programme for the Development and Management of Lake Victoria Fisheries. In this connexion you might find it opportune to review the available national institutions in the Lake Victoria region and the possibilities of utilizing them as vehicles for bringing about further development;

Bearing in mind that the lake is a single ecological unit and the distribution of the resources does not respect the man-made political boundaries, it will be worthwhile to discuss ways in which the three sister states might achieve harmonization of legislation and management policy, coordination and economy of research activities, promotion of exchange of fishery data, information on research results and unification of basic statistics in order to evolve meaningful policies and to achieve more satisfactory and sustained fishery development.

It is the role and responsibility of FAO to provide the best possible assistance to you in the complex and difficult tasks you face in developing and managing the fish resources of Lake Victoria. The work of the proposed Programme for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria is expected to start soon. The Food and Agriculture Organization would appreciate receiving the comments and advice of the delegations concerning the make-up and future conduct of this programme.

I firmly believe that the members of the Sub-Committee share a common desire, that is, the desire to cooperate and to benefit mutually from the cooperation, in the development and management of their fisheries. We are here to explore the various ways of cooperating in fisheries matters in this region. It is only through such pooling of efforts that the countries of the region can master more quickly and successfully the technical, social and economic problems facing them. We could perhaps influence the unaccptable situation in which the three nations in this fish-rich area are still afflicted by protein malnutrition and its debilitating side effects.

If we are to make progress in overcoming difficulties it will probably have to begin in meetings of this kind. These are opportunities to build for the future and they should not be lightly valued. We in FAO, and the international community, are available to assist, if you feel that our help is needed.

In closing, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to repeat again that FAO is most grateful for the invitation of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to hold this session in Mwanza.

May the work done here in the next few days result in long-term improvement of fisheries management and development in Lake Victoria and thus in a bettering of the lot of the people who live in this region.

And, in the name of the Director-General of FAO, Mr Edouard Saouma, and the Assistant Director-General of the Fisheries Department, Mr Kenneth C. Lucas, I again wish you all every success in your deliberations.

Thank you.

APPENDIX D
Agenda

1. Opening of the Session

2. Election of Chairman

3. Adoption of the Agenda and Arrangements for the Session

4. Fisheries Development and Management of Lake Victoria

   1. The fisheries of Lake Victoria

   2. Main developments and management issues facing the countries exploiting the fisheries of Lake Victoria

5. Action Programmes for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria

6. Any Other Matters

7. Date and Place of the Next Session

8. Election of Officers

9. Adoption of the Report

APPENDIX E
List of Documents

(1) Distributed in advance of the Session

(2) Distributed at the Session

APPENDIX F
Summary of Recommendations for Action

Item 4: Fisheries Development and Management of Lake Victoria

A. The Fisheries of Lake Victoria

FOR ATTENTION OF FAO

1. Assist the countries in improving the knowledge of the various fish stocks (paragraphs 12, 13, 15, 40, 42, 43).

2. Assist the region in improving fisheries information, including the standardization of fish catch statistics (paragraphs 15, 33).

3. Encourage upgrading of traditional fisheries and transfer of fishing technology within the region (paragraphs 23, 24, 25).

FOR ATTENTION OF GOVERNMENTS

1. Encourage the use of a larger codend mesh size (paragraph 12).

2. Intensify a study of the ecology and biology of Haplochromis and Engraulicypris (Rastrineobola) (paragraphs 12, 13).

3. Coordinate and stimulate research on the various fish stocks of the lake (paragraphs 15, 40, 42, 43).

4. Cooperate in standardizing fish catch statistics (paragraphs 15, 33).

5. Make efforts to select priorities for the development of the fisheries within existing social patterns (paragraphs 23, 25).

B. Main Development and Management Issues Facing the Countries Exploiting the Fisheries of Lake Victoria

FOR ATTENTION OF FAO

1. Intensify the role of the Sub-Committee in fishery development and management of the fisheries of Lake Victoria (paragraphs 27, 47).

2. Establish a Working Party on fishery statistics (paragraph 33).

3. Assist the countries in the harmonization of fishery legislation and regulations (paragraph 34).

4. Assist the countries in formulating development programmes for the upgrading of traditional fisheries, improvement of fishing craft, gear and operations, fish handling, preservation and marketing (paragraphs 39, 42, 43).

5. Facilitate the implementation of a regional programme in surveys as specific resources and development of improved stock assessment methods suited to the region (paragraphs 31, 45, 46).

FOR ATTENTION OF GOVERNMENTS

1. Intensify efforts - setting up an effective international machinery for the development and management of fisheries of Lake Victoria (paragraph 27).

2. Cooperate in controlling and regulating the exploitation of the lake (paragraph 30).

3. Cooperate in the study of the distribution of stocks and fishing technology to avoid overlapping research activities (paragraph 31).

4. Make effort to improve the dissemination of regional scientific and technical information (paragraph 32).

5. Intensify efforts in the following fields of regional cooperation.

   1. Standardization of fishery statistics (paragraph 33);
   2. Harmonization of fishery legislation and regulations (paragraph 34);
   3. Development of Haplochromis fishery (paragraph 39);
   4. Development of the pelagic fisheries (paragraph 42);
   5. Rehabilitation of the anodromous fisheries (paragraph 43);
   6. Promotion of cooperative research (paragraph 45, 46);
   7. Cooperate with the CIFA Sub-Committee for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria concerning all fishery matters of Lake Victoria (paragraph 47).

Item 5: Action Programmes for the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria

FOR ATTENTION OF FAO

1. Assist in fostering regional cooperation action and facilitate the implementation of a regional programme (paragraphs 49, 50, 51, 63).

2. Assist the countries in drafting a regional project taking full cognizance of the priorities of the countries (51, 52, 59, 60).

3. Assist the countries in drafting and executing the proposed Phase II of the Lake Victoria Regional Fisheries Research Project (paragraph 55).

FOR ATTENTION OF GOVERNMENTS

1. Collaborate in the development and management of the fisheries of Lake Victoria (paragraphs 49, 63).

2. Strengthen cooperation and establish a locally-based technical support unit for planning overall direction of technical and capital assistance for the rational development and management of the fisheries of Lake Victoria (paragraphs 50, 51).

3. Intensify efforts in seeking funds for setting up of the Technical Support Unit (paragraphs 52, 59, 60).

4. Cooperate in assessing the current status of the fishing industry of Lake Victoria (paragraph 54).

5. Cooperate in executing the proposed Phase II of the Lake Victoria Regional Fisheries Research Project (paragraph 55).

APPENDIX G
Lake Victoria Fish Production Significance in National Fisheries

APPENDIX H
Review of the Status of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria

1. INTRODUCTION

Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world, straddles the Equator and has a surface area of about 68 800 km². Its inshore fish resources consisting of numerous species are heavily exploited, while offshore stocks, also of many species are hardly utilized. Much improvement can be made in management, capture techniques, processing and marketing. It is for this reason that the Governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are seriously considering national programmes for accelerated development of their artisanal fisheries. However, both the fish stocks and the traditional fisheries are not separated by national boundaries and hence, lake-wide unified policy and regulation is an essential part of rational management and development.

The inshore multiple species fisheries are exploited with a wide variety of gears (beach seines, gillnets, hoods on longlines, traps, etc.). Already some of the most highly valued species, e.g., Sarotherodon exculentus (Ngege) and Labeo victorianus (Ningu) have been reduced to very low population levels. But the most abundant and less relished Haplochromis spp., occurring in depths over 20 m, still remain underfished. The importance of unified management of the Lake Victoria fisheries has been clear since the 1920s when signs of overfishing the inshore indigenous Sarotherodon spp. (tilapias) appeared.

When gillnets were first introduced to Lake Victoria, the catches of Sarotherodon were commonly 50 to 100 individuals, of large size, per net. These nets were generally of 127 mm stretched mesh and over 50 m in length. By 1928 the catch per unit of effort had dropped to 6–7 individuals per net. These circumstances prompted Graham to recommend formation of a unified lake-wide authority responsible for regulation and collection of fish catch statistics. Consequently, a gillnet mesh size limit of 127 mm was set in 1933. The Lake Victoria Fisheries Service (LVFS) was established in 1947 and in the same year the East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization (EAFFRO) was formed and was charged with the responsibility of carrying out biological research on fish stocks in the entire lake. However little was accomplished in winning acceptance for regulations by the fishermen.

As the fishing effort increased after the second world war, the catch of fish in the 127 mm gillnets dropped more and more and the average size of the marketed fish became significantly smaller. However, fishing remained fairly profitable. The crux of the matter was absence of an adequate price differential between large and small fish and this encouraged the use of illegal undersized gillnets to maximize catch in numbers. Besides, the already complex multiple species fisheries were made more fragil by the introduction of exotic Sarotherodon leucostictus, Tilapia spp. and the predatory Nile perch (Lates niloticus) between the 1950s and 1960s. There was neither legislation to control the sale and distribution of undersized gillnets nor adequate manpower to police the fishing grounds and consequently the prohibition of gillnets between 76 and 127 mm became unenforceable by the end of 1956. Hence, the mesh size limit was repealed in Tanzania and Uganda. Subsequently, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Service was disbanded in 1960. Fisheries collaboration continued through the activities of EAFFRO. But this international coordinating mechanism also disappeared following the disruption of the East African Community.

Now once again the countries sharing Lake Victoria feel there is a compelling need to collaborate in the development and management of their multiple species fisheries. At the Fourth Session of the FAO Committee for Inland Fisheries (CIFA) in Blantyre, Malawi, held 8–12 December 1980, the formation of a CIFA Sub-Committee for Lake Victoria was recommended. At the Fourteenth Session of COFI, held in Rome, 26–30 May 1981, the representatives of the three states Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda agreed on the terms of reference of the Sub-Committee.

2. NATURE OF FISHERY RESOURCES

Lake Victoria has a large fauna of cichlid fishes consisting of many Haplochromis spp., Tilapia and Sarotherodon, as well as a number of non-cichlid fishes (e.g., Protopterus, Clarias, Bagrus, Labeo, Barbus, Synodontis and the introduced Lates niloticus). While detailed biological information on individual fish species is lacking, there is a general pattern in the distribution of fishes in the lake. The available data indicate that the distribution of a number of species is influenced by depth and type of bottom deposits. In the circumstances of the multiple species nature of the fisheries, it is rather difficult to give a definite temporal and spatial distribution of stocks.

2.1 Fish Communities

The interacting fish species groups form somewhat discrete ecological communities delimited by depth, topography and hydrographic conditions of the different lake habitats. Although the existing fish communities are fairly homogenous, there is migration of species from affluent rivers and swamps into inshore and open waters. The following fish communities are available for exploitation by artisanal and semi-industrial fleets: (i) the inshore demersal fish community, (ii) the offshore demersal fish community and (iii) the pelagic eurybathic fish community.

2.1.1 Inshore Demersal Fish Community

The fish community inhabiting the marginal areas of the lake (i.e., marginal affluent rivers; areas with papyrus swamps and water-lilies and shallow inshore waters) consist of both cichlid and non-cichlid fish species. The genera Tilapia and Sarotherodon (tilapias, Cichlidae), whose bathymetric distribution extend to 20 m depth, dominate the other species. The Haplochromis species group (Cichlidae) constitutes an important element of the inshore fish community. Thirdly, the non-cichlid fishes: Protopterus aethiopicus, Clarias mossambicus, C. carsonii, Schilbe mystus and Synodontis afrofischeri are important elements of the inshore fisheries. Protopterus and Clarias frequent the papyrus and water-lily swamps, but they also occur in inshore waters with a muddy bottom. Additionally, other species comprising the inshore fish community are Labeo victorianus, Barbus altianalis and Synodontis afrofischeri. Labeo prefers the shallow inshore waters with no water-lily and affluent rivers where it spawns during the rainy season. Most non-cichlid fishes inhabiting the shallow inshore waters move into rivers and outside all the year round, but few cichlids, e.g., Haplochromis multicolor and Astatoreochromis alluaudi, do. Intermingling of cichlids and non-cichlid species of various sizes occurs mostly in the littoral and sublittoral zones (in depths less than 20 m) and this intermingling is a significant factor in the management of Lake Victoria fisheries.

2.1.2 Offshore Demersal Fish Community

The offshore deepwater fish community living at or near the bottom is dominated by the Haplochromis spp. group (Cichlidae). The deepwater inhabiting non-cichlid fishes include Bagrus docmac, Mormyrus kannume, Synodontis victoriae, the clariid catfish Xenoclarias eupogon and the introduced Lates niloticus macrophthalmus (Nile perch). These relatively large-sized non-cichlid fishes are capable of breeding in the open waters. Most probably there is no size segregation by depth for all these species. The implication is that a non-selective fishing gear will capture a mixture of young and adult Haplochromis non-cichlid fishes.

2.1.3 Pelagic Fish Community

Engraulicypris argenteus (Mukene) is known to occur in surface inshore waters, as well as in deep waters. It is known to spawn in open lake areas without water-lily. This species is one of the few freshwater fishes which produce pelagic eggs, implying it is a true pelagic species. Engraulicypris is played on by Bagrus, Clarias mossambicus, Schilbe mystus and the surface feeding, predatory and fish eating Haplochromis spp. group.

2.2 Present Catches

In a multispecies fishery, exploitation of one species group affects the population structure of the other available fish species. The artisanal gillnet fishery has been highly selective with respect to target species. The highly relished Sarotherodon esculentus and Labeo victorianus, inhabiting the shallow inshore waters, have been reduced to low population levels. On the other hand, Haplochromis and Synodontis spp. (occurring in deeper offshore waters) are still abundant.

Available catch statistics are still inadequate. There are probably deficiencies in area coverage, allocation of catch by species and lack of reliable raising factors to use in estimating total catches using sampled landings. Data on national catches in recent years are summarized in Table 1. During the period 1968–72 both Tanzania and Uganda catches showed a downward trend. From 1973 to 1979 Tanzania catches have fluctuated between 40 000 and 66 000 t. This fluctuation can be explained by variation in productivity and socio-economic changes within the fishing units. Prior to 1973, fishing activities in Uganda waters were more or less similar to those in the Kenya and Tanzania sectors. During the period 1968–73, the Uganda catch fluctuated between 41 200 and 32 500 t, giving an annual average catch of 37 000 t for the period. After 1973 there was an abnormal economic period in Uganda and the fishing industry deteriorated as a result of lack of fishing materials. In these circumstances, the annual catch most probably may not have exceeded 32 500 t, the lowest magnitude realized prior to 1973. A reasonable guess of the average annual catch for Uganda after 1973 should be about 30 000 t. Lastly, catch trends in the Kenya portion of the lake are different from the rest of the lake. The Kenya catch increased slowly from about 16 400 t in 1968 to about 19 300 t in 1977, after which there was a sudden increase to 23 900 t and 30 600 t in 1978 and 1979, respectively. During the period 1978–79, Engraulicypris dominated in the Kenya annual total catch (33 percent), Haplochromis ranked second (about 25 percent), whereas Clarias ranked third, constituting about 9 percent of the total catch. In the Tanzania waters Haplochromis spp. dominated the catch, contributing about 40 percent of the annual catch for the years 1978 and 1979. The Tilapia and Sarotherodon group ranked second, comprising 13 percent of the total catch, whereas Bagrus ranked third, constituting about 10 percent of the catch. The CIFA Sub-Committee for Lake Victoria should critically examine the causes of disparity in fishing trends between national sectors.

2.3 Yield Potential

In 1967 the first FAO/UNDP Lake Victoria Fisheries Research Project became operational. On the basis of biological information collected by EAFFRO and the results of exploratory fishing with R/V IBIS, preliminary estimates of fish biomass and yield potential were made. The standing crop of exploitable fishes is put at 750 000 t out of which the Haplochromis complex contributes 80 percent (i.e., 600 000 t). The remaining 20 percent (i.e., 150 000 t) is comprised of the ‘tilapias’ (Tilapia and Sarotherodon), Bagrus, Protopterus, Clarias, the introduced Nile perch (Lates), Labeo, Barbus, etc. A modest estimate of the potential for Haplochromis is about 200 000 t, against an estimated harvest of about 47 300 t taken by the artisanal fishery. Therefore, fishery development activities in waters beyond the 20 m depth contour could tap an estimated extra 152 700 t of Haplochromis spp. On the basis of area and length of coastline contributed by the Lake Victoria partner states, it can be assumed that about 10, 15 and 40 percent of the extra Haplochromis catch will be contributed by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, respectively. In spite of the adequate potential for fisheries development, there should be enough safeguards not to overcapitalize the Lake Victoria fishing industry because there might be natural fluctuations in the population of exploited species, as well as species composition changes due to interspecific interactions. Besides, the size and age composition of exploitable species will change with an intensifying commercial fishery. It is therefore inevitable to revise estimates of the Haplochromis yield potential on a continuous basis and cross-check the sustainable yield, using catch and effort data.

Rational development and management of Lake Victoria fisheries should be based on the abundance by depth of exploited species and on marketability of fish products. The waters of less than 20 m depth form an area of 12 700 km² (18.4 percent of lake area) and most artisanal fishermen operate in this area. The area between 20 m and 40 m (mean depth) is about 11 000 km² (16 percent of total area) whereas the sector of depth greater than 40 m is about 45 100 km² (65.6 percent of total area). Previous exploratory trawling indicates that the sectors 0–20 m, 20–40 m and 40–79 m contribute about 29 percent, 25.8 percent and 46.2 percent, respectively, of the total fish biomass. However, there is a need to verify these estimates.

The present catch of Tilapia and Sarotherodon in the entire lake is put at about 16 500 t. The introduced S. niloticus, S. leucostictus, T. zillii and T. rendalli dominate the indigenous S. esculentus and S. variabilis in Kenya and Uganda waters. But in Tanzania waters the indigenous tilapias (S. esculentus and S. variabilis) still dominate the introduced species. On the basis of catch rates in the Tanzania waters, a modest estimated potential yield of all the tilapias in the whole lake is about 22 900 t. The total catch of the ‘tilapias’ will vary from year to year due to changes in fishing intensity and fluctuations in abundance of these species. Therefore, there is a need for rational management of the inshore tilapias in order to maintain high productivity and ‘stable’ yields.

Table 1

Total nominal catches of the artisanal fisheries of Lake Victoria in t, by country for the period 1968–79

^a Uganda's total annual catch assumed to be less than the 1973 magnitude, following the deterioration of the fishing industry during the abnormal economic period 1973–79

There are no adequate data to enable reliable assessment of the present magnitude of the resource comprised of Lates, Protopterus, Mormyrus, Bagrus, Clarias, Synodontis and Barbus. But data on bathospatial distribution indicate that a significant proportion of the eurybathic fishes (species with a large vertical range of distribution, e.g., Bagrus docmac, Clarias mossambicus, Synodontis victoriae, etc.), is not accessible to the artisanal fishermen. Hence, fishery development activities are likely to result in increased catch of these species in waters deeper than 20 m. But the existing migration patterns and the joint harvesting of the same species by artisanal and semi-industrial fleets might make difficult estimation of yield potential. The CIFA Sub-Committee for Lake Victoria could well address itself to the problem of standardization of cpue data to facilitate more rational estimates of the resource potential.

2.4 State of Biological Data

A number of the non-cichlid species of Lake Victoria make seasonal migration from the shallow inshore waters into rivers and swamps. There is no adequate information concerning the mechanism of migrations and their significance to the multiple gear artisanal fisheries.

Reliable information of mean size and age of individual species on the catch of artisanal fishermen is still deficient. Besides, there are no data on selectivity of different gillnet meshes, hooks, beach and mosquito seine nets operated by the artisanal fishermen. Since the lower reaches of affluent rivers, marginal swamps and the coastal shallow sand or muddy bottom areas are nursery grounds for many small-sized cichlids, as well as the larger non-cichlid species, there is a basis for assuming that lack of mesh size regulation for the entire lake contributes to poor recruitment.

Limnological and fisheries research work carried out by the defunct EAFFRO and the FAO/UNDP Lake Victoria Regional Fisheries Research Project led to valuable information. There are some useful estimates of growth, mortality and reproductive rates. Additionally, there is some information on breeding behaviour, feeding habits and ecological adaptations of some species groups. The main limitation to the use of this information in management is that research activities have been limited in duration and geographical scope. In many instances sampling for length frequencies, age, sexual maturation and fecundity, have been confined to certain bays and gulfs with different abiotic and biotic characteristics. Besides, there is an apparent age and size stratification by depth for many species. Proper biological sampling programmes will provide useful information on population structure of exploited species by depth zones on a lake-wide basis through the mechanisms of the Sub-Committee for Lake Victoria.

3. STATUS OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY

3.1 Fishing Craft

The fishing craft used by artisanal fishermen in Lake Victoria include traditional dugout canoes, and planked canoes and boats. The share of dugout canoes seems to be constantly decreasing. The dugout canoes are heavy, slow and unstable, and demand skilled handling but, on the other hand, are very long lived. They may be up to 40 ft long with 3-ft beams but are on the average much shorter. Also, suitable trees, at one time free to canoe builders, are now more and more hard to find.

The more popular artisanal fishing boats are the kabalega, the sesse canoe, the nyanza canoe and a dhow-type vessel called karua. They are mostly modified versions of traditional native craft.

There are many local boatbuilders and even small and medium boatbuilding establishments around the lake. In addition, the governments have established modern boatyards where western-type boats and larger vessels have been constructed. Not all attempts to introduce western boatbuilding practices have succeeded because all planked boats have more or less similar life spans, and a boat built by traditional methods costs about one third or one fourth of the one made by modern methods; the additional cost has, therefore, not proved to be justified. Thus, e.g., many fishermen have not availed themselves of the subsidy made available by the Ugandan Government to encourage the introduction of western-type fishing boats.

A regional boatbuilding course was held in Uganda during the 1970s, during a 12.6-m ferro-cement trawler and some simple V-bottomed boats had been constructed to FAO design and supervision.

3.2 Engines

Outboard engines are widely used by artisanal fishermen. Most of them are in the 12–18 hp range. There are many types and makes, but the most common seem to be Johnson, Evinrude, Yamaha and Archimedes/Penta.

3.3 Fishing Methods and Gear

Lake Victoria is the artisanal fisherman's domain. For ages Lake Victoria fishermen used baskets, traps, weirs and spears. Gillnets were introduced in 1905 and beach seines in 1925, but otherwise little development took place until 1949. Most fishing activities occur within a 20-m depth line, where, generally speaking, the higher valued fish occur. Catfish and Protopterus are caught with longlines, the various species of Tilapia, catfish, Labeo, etc., are caught also with traps and weirs. Bagrus and Lates are caught with gillnets, and the beach seine catches are multivarious.

Synthetic fibre nets were introduced in the early 1950s. The present artisanal fishery consists mainly of gillnetting for Tilapia and other table fish. More recently, gillnetting and beach seining are used to catch increasing amounts of the lower valued Haplochromis. While in the past the mesh of the gillnets has been as large as 17-cm stretch, in the present fishery mesh as small as 38-mm stretch is used.

Light fishing of the pelagic Engraulicypris, using kerosene lamps and round-haul nets, has also been reported. However more diversified fishing gear and modes of operation could well be considered. In the 1970s experimental and exploratory trawling by an FAO project indicated that Haplochromis can be feasibly fished using otter trawls. So far, however, commercial trawling takes place only in Tanzania where, according to the information available, four steel trawlers of Dutch design are fishing for Haplochromis for a fishmeal plant in Mwanza.

Preliminary experiments carried out by FAO indicated also the possibility of fishing for Haplochromis with boat seines, using open or decked small diesel-powered fishing boats. It is possible that pair trawling with small boats may be a feasible method of harvesting these fish and should be experimentally tried.

3.4 Materials

Two net factories have been operating in Tanzania, one in Kenya and one in Uganda. The quality of nylon nets used in the region, whether imported or manufactured in Africa, is good and the prices, in contrast to what has been observed in West Africa, seem reasonable.

In Tanzania there has been a ban on the importation of fishing nets and lines, at least those made of nylon, but the present status of this regulation or its actual enforcement is unknown. There have been complaints that nets made in Tanzania and Uganda are sometimes more expensive than nets imported into Kenya, a situation that seemed unjustified.

3.5 Processing Methods

In all countries surrounding Lake Victoria there is a strong preference for freshwater fish. Unlike for some other African lakes, only a limited amount of fresh fish from Lake Victoria is marketed outside the lake region as it is mostly consumed in the densely populated immediate vicinity of the lake.

The artisanal fisheries of Lake Victoria are faced with typical problems such as shortage of ice, inappropriate handling of fish and lack of landing, storage, processing and marketing facilities ashore. This usually leads to some post-harvest losses in some areas of Lake Victoria where the catch exceeds the local fresh fish consumption.

Information on existing processing facilities and practices is extremely limited and mostly out of date. Available data indicates that in all main fishing centres, such as Mwanza, Entebbe and Kisumu, ice is available but is not of adequate quantity. Usually the fishermen go fishing without ice and fish is only iced ashore for distribution to large distant market centres such as to Nairobi or Kampala where the fish can fetch a higher price. Local distribution is mainly carried out without ice and the daily catch is disposed of immediately.

Consumers prefer Tilapia spp. among all fresh fish around Lake Victoria. The next preferred fishes are Bagrus, Clarias and Protopterus, but their acceptability varies a great deal from place to place. The acceptability of the most abundant species, Haplochromis, is limited to a narrow belt along the lakeshore. Several years ago experiments were carried out in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on marketing fresh Haplochromis outside this belt, but the results were not very encouraging. This pointed to the need for appropriate processing of Haplochromis, the most abundant fish group in Lake Victoria.

A limited market for Haplochromis exists in smoked and particularly sun-dried form. So far several attempts have been made to produce other more acceptable products, such as a canned product in tomato sauce, edible meal or fermented products, but none of these have been introduced or tested on a large scale. Dried edible meal has, however, received positive reactions in tests.

The abundant and underfished Haplochromis resource attracted the fish meal industry that finally succeeded in the building of fish meal plants in Mwanza (50–80 t/day capacity) in the 1970s. Kenya has been considering a joint venture with Norway since 1975. Limited information is available on the operation of these plants but the plant in Mwanza seems to be operating fairly well, although a problem exists in finding a market for oil produced there. Fish for the plant is caught by four trawlers owned by the Nyanza Fishing and Processing Company. The by-catch consisting of valuable table fish species is processed at the company's small processing plant.

Traditional fish processing (smoking and sun-drying) in Lake Victoria still plays a very important role in fish preservation. The quality of fish is generally low and fish suffers from severe insect infestation, particularly during the wet season. Lack of appropriate preservation of fish and fish products and inadequate hygienic requirements in many landing and processing centres cause significant losses. Available data from Tanzania indicate that dried dagaa can be completely consumed by pests within two to three months. Precise information on the traditional fish processing around Lake Victoria is inadequate and it seems that this aspect needs much more attention, particularly in view of the fact that the development of industrial fisheries can adversely affect the artisanal sector.

4. SOCIO-ECONOMIC STRUCTURE OF THE FISHERIES

The Lake Victoria originally near-subsistence fishermen, who periodically alternated fishing with agricultural work and other available sources of employment, have become in many places full-time fishermen landing fresh fish caught in relatively shallow near-shore waters. As shoreside transport has improved, the extent of shore areas over which the fishermen could fish and still be able to deliver their catch fresh to fish buyers has continually expanded. Exploitation of the more remote shallow areas was slower to develop because of the definite consumers' preference for fresh, as opposed to salted and dried, fish. The deeper waters have not been extensively exploited because of the technical problems of operating small boats far from shore and the fact that the shallow-water species bring a higher price than the small Haplochromis species to be found further offshore. Consumers preference for particular species also varies widely around the lake, leading to quite different price structures and, therefore, different fishing tactics in different communities even within the same country.

There are at present something over 50 000 small-scale fishermen around Lake Victoria, operating some 12 000 fishing boats with a total annual harvest of about or somewhat over 100 000 t/year.

4.1 Exploitation of the Resource

The intensity of exploitation and relative development of related commercial channels has not, however, been uniform in all areas around the lake. The most intense fishery occurs in the Kenyan sector, where about 25 000, which is half the total fishermen on the lake, operate from Kenya's mere 12 percent share of the lake shoreline. In this region of scarce agricultural land, where alternative employment is not readily available, the fishing areas and landing zones have been divided up and demarcated along ownership lines resembling those applied to agricultural land.

Access to the shallow-water resource is thus denied to newcomers and outsiders, with the result that Luo fishermen who find themselves “in excess” must find a place as crew-members on the boat of someone with fishing rights, or leave fishing for some other employment.

Exploitation in Tanzania and Uganda waters appears to be, with the exception of the established fishing centres, less intense than in Kenya, owing primarily to shoreside transportation problems and an associated lesser development of the marketing channels.

4.2 Ownership of Fishing Vessels

According to various surveys, over half the fishing boats on the lake are owner-operated, while the rest are operated under a variety of arrangements, including monthly rental of the boat, fishing by a hired crew and loaning to a friend in return for a token payment of fish. Non-fishing boat-owners generally seem not to expand beyond a fleet of three to four fishing boats, at least in part because of the practical difficulties of supervising the operation of larger number of vessels. There is an apparent tendency for non-fishing boat-owners to be more common in those areas where fishing is on a thoroughly commercial basis (as in Kenya). In other areas (as, for example, Uganda) where the subsistence component of fishing remains important, and alternative agricultural employment is more likely to be available, fishermen may be found leaving the water after a few weeks or months to work ashore and then later return to fishing. The prices of canoes in the subsistence-oriented areas tend to be lower and based on the fact that the builder often has no other possible employment.

4.3 Employment and Income Distribution

The canoes carry on the average three fishermen each, while the less numerous fishing dhows sail with a crew of up to eight men and boys. The arrangements for payment of crew are quite varied, and include a straight monthly wage, a share of the catch for each trip, payment of the crew member of 10 percent of his catch in return for a seat in the boat and the opportunity to set his own nets, and family members working without official pay.

Ownership and use of the nets follow a similar variety of patterns.

At least in Kenya, it is considered that, although most crew members are full-time fishermen, they earn barely enough to support themselves, let alone a family. The crew leaders are better provided for. The boat owners often seem to get enough profit to invest in a small shoreside retailing store, thus achieving a more important social status and, at the same time, diversifying his investment risks.

Although little information is available on credit facilities for fishermen, it appears that Ugandan fishermen, while not generally eligible for regular commercial credit, at least in the late 1960s had somehow avoided systematic indebtedness to fish buyers. There are indications that much of the financial credit required in the Kenya small-scale fishery comes from local small-scale businessmen, and that profits from the fishery are reinvested locally.

4.4 The Marketing Workforce

About 8 000 mostly small-scale fish buyers and distributors handle the fresh fish trade near the lake and send processed fish further inland.

5. FISHERY DEVELOPMENT

Probably some 50 000 fishermen make their living from the lake, producing between 100 and 120 000 t of fish per year. Together with their dependents and those people who make their living from marketing of the catches and other services related to the fishery, the number of people dependent of the artisanal fishery in Lake Victoria may be anything from 130 000 to 200 000. This is a very lively fishery, the participants of which show initiative and know-how sufficient to make full utilization, if not overexploitation, of the inshore resources, which include most of the high value and best marketable fishes in the lake.

The main commercial developments initiated by outside factors have been the establishment of some boatbuilding facilities, the netting factories, the fish processing and fish storing centres at Mwanza and at the Nyegezi Freshwater Fishery Institute and the MWADECO fish meal plant in Pasiansi and the ice making plants and fish storing capacities elsewhere around the lake.

5.1 Potential for Increased Production

The main potential for increasing the production of fish in Lake Victoria, and perhaps the only one, is the exploitation of the large stock of over 100 species of Haplochromis, which can be harvested using a variety of offshore drag nets and other fishing methods. There are various estimates of this stock but, even at the low end of the estimate range, tens of thousands of tons per year of Haplochromis could be added to the present yield of Lake Victoria. The problems of developing this sort of fishery are involved with many non-technological aspects, and the feasibility of such an enterprise would have to be evaluated by their socio-economic and ecological criteria (see papers 5 and 6).

Much of the effort on management of the fish resources of the lake, however, must be aimed at maintaining at least the present levels of production of the more valued species, and if possible increasing the yields of these resources. Management toward these goals will be difficult, inasmuch as the underlying problem is overexploitation, e.g., too much fishing effort. The management must also be coordinated among the three states, inasmuch as these stocks, as well as the offshore pelagic ones, range across the national boundaries, as do the fishermen who fish them.

It must also be considered that the various modifications being made or planned for the future to the inflowing rivers, as well as the increasing potentials for pollution of the waters of the lake from industrial development, also threaten the fisheries, particularly those of migratory stocks. Again, only concerted cooperative action by the three states can ensure effective protection of the fisheries from these threats.

5.2 Other Opportunities for Development

There are a number of other opportunities to improve the utilization of the exising resources, primarily through improved processing and marketing. such improvements can be aimed both at reducing losses through spoilage, and at increasing the market value of the fish produced. The present constraints to the development of utilization and marketing of fish in the Lake Victoria are:

1. the low purchasing power of the majority of consumers;
2. lack of infrastructure and facilities ashore, e.g., ice plants, cold stores, refrigerated transportation, market facilities;
3. poor distribution facilities;
4. lack of sufficient working capital;
5. lack of appropriate techniques of handling and marketing of fish;
6. traditionally established food habits.

It appears that it would be difficult for the time being to achieve any significant progress in distribution and marketing of fresh fish, particularly in distant rural areas. Improving quality by better handling methods and introduction of icing would mean a significant increase in costs and an increased price of produce. Though the consumers are concerned about quality and hygienic standards, they are worried about the price they have to pay. Therefore, the final fish product should be commensurate with the purchasing power of the consumers.

Faster progress can be achieved in development of the industrial fisheries and utilization of the existing stocks of Haplochromis for production of fish meal. Development of this fishery, that has practically already commenced, may have an important impact on the economics of the Lake Victoria countries by reduction of imports and self-sufficiency in fish meal production. About 10–20 percent of the catch of the trawler fishing for fish meal plants is made up of table fish for direct consumption. Therefore, appropriate handling, processing and distribution of this fish should also be assured. Although utilization of the Haplochromis for fish meal seems to be the easiest solution for the present, an effort should be made to find a more satisfactory way for utilization of these species for direct human consumption. Therefore it is felt that better designed experiments on the marketing of Haplochromis should be carried out. It is hoped that the results of the marketing trials planned by the Nyegezi Institute for the second half of 1981 will be of great interest to Kenya and Uganda as well. More research should be done on processing Haplochromis and other fish species to obtain products that are economically marketable and acceptable. The present production of Protopterus fillets for restaurants is an interesting example in this respect.

There is also adequate potential for the development of the artisanal fisheries sector through improvement in handling, processing and fish distribution. Provision of appropriate marketing facilities in urban markets and rural areas should provide the incentive for developing fish trade.

6. SUMMARY AND SUGGESTED ACTION BY THE SUB-COMMITTEE

This document is a review of the history and present status of the fisheries of Lake Victoria. Some of the problems of their management and opportunities for their development have been suggested.

The Sub-Committee may wish to discuss certain aspects of this review and consider whether or not it accurately summarizes the existing situation. Suggestions for action of a more substantive nature are presented in documents CIFA:DM/LV/81/5 and CIFA:DM/LV/81/6.

APPENDIX I
Main Fisheries Development and Management Issues and Suggested Action

INTRODUCTION

1. One of the moving forces behind the establishment of the CIFA Sub-Committee for Lake Victoria was the urgent need to set up effective international machinery for the development and management of the fisheries of the lake. To clarify the role of the Sub-Committee, it was felt that first a review of the status of the fisheries of the lake needed to be prepared. This has been done in paper, CIFA:DM/LV/81/4. It was further agreed that both the riparian countries and FAO would prepare basic papers on development and management issues. It was understood, however, that FAO would concentrate on issues of regional importance.

2. The present paper examines major development and management prospects and issues in both the inshore and offshore fisheries of Lake Victoria. In general it appears that the inshore fishing resources has, for some species, collapsed and may, in other species, be overexploited. The lack of data, the absence of coordinated regulations, and consultative mechanism, make it difficult to evaluate the situation with any degree of precision.

The offshore resources, made up of a variety of Haplochromis, are for the most part underexploited, although they represent an increasing part of the catch of some countries. The paper reviews the possible objectives that may be selected by riparian countries and studies the effects of actions that can be taken to attain these objectives. Some objectives may be in conflict with each other: for instance, the maximization of income versus the maximization of employment. Furthermore, objectives selected by one government may be different to those of another government. Such situations call for regional collaboration. This is true because the lake is an ecological unit where action by one country has direct effects on the resources of the other countries. Furthermore, the socio-economic unity of the resource and the fishermen result in the fact that the problems faced by one country are common to all.

3. Whilst there may be overlapping of the papers prepared by the countries and the present paper, it should be noted that the papers are meant primarily to serve as background to detailed discussion of fishery prospects and issues, the clarification of development objectives and the identification of common problems with a view to achieving regional collaboration in the development and management of the fisheries of Lake Victoria.

PROSPECTS AND ISSUES

4. Lake Victoria is the second largest lake in the world. Rough estimates indicate that there are approximately 50 000 small-scale fishermen around Lake Victoria operating some 12 000 fishing boats with a total annual harvest of about 115 000 t. Including fishermen's families and the auxiliary industries to fishing, such as, processing, marketing, boat building and net making; it is likely that the industry caters for approximately 200 000–250 000 persons.

5. In the inshore sector of the lake, i.e., up to a depth of 20 m, the intensity of fishery exploitation, although not equal throughout, is reported to be very high. Many species found in that area are of high value and are therefore much sought after by the fishermen. The most intense fishery occurs in Kenya where 50 percent of Lake Victoria fishermen are found, in spite of the fact that Kenya owns only 12 percent of the lake. In Kenya the lack of alternative employment attracts the people to the fishing industry with the result that pressure on the stocks is such that the fishing areas and landing zones have been demarcated and allocated to specific groups of fishermen. Entry into the fishery is therefore limited. In Uganda and Tanzania fishing pressure is high in established fishing centres, but less intense elsewhere.

6. Pressure on inshore stocks is also due to the vulnerability of some species. While it has been fairly well established that Tilapia stocks of Lake Victoria are relatively sedentary, it is known that Bagrus, Barbus, Labeo and Mormyrus are more or less migratory, running up the larger inflowing rivers to spawn. In fact, poor fishing practices in the mouth of the Nzoia and Yala rivers brought about a collapse of Labeo fishing in the whole northern part of the lake.

7. The decrease of the catch per unit of effort was noted as early as 1928 when it was recommended that a unified lake-wide authority responsible for regulation and collection of fishery statistics be established. In 1933 the gillnet mesh size limit was set at 127 mm. After 1945 it was noted that the size of fish had dropped significantly. The lack of enforcement of mesh size regulation led to the use of smaller and smaller mesh and by 1956 mesh size limit was unfortunately repealed in Tanzania and Uganda. The subsequent disbandment of Lake Victoria Fisheries Service (LVFS) and, in 1977 of East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization (EAFFRO), further worsened an already serious fish stock situation in the inshore waters.

8. The situation in the offshore is quite the opposite. The standing crop of Haplochromis has been put at 600 000 t and the potential annual yield has been modestly estimated at about 200 000 t against an estimated harvest of about 50 000 t.

9. The main difficulty with Haplochromis is that there are many species - none of which dominates the catch - which vary considerably in structure, behaviour and composition. The fishes are bony and fat and are little appreciated by the consumers and, consequently, fetch a very low price. A limited market in smoked and sun-dried form exists in a narrow belt along the shore. Experiments on marketing fresh Haplochromis outside this belt were not encouraging. Attempts at processing in canned or fermented products, and edible meal were not conclusive. Being located in deeper water, fishing for Haplochromis requires boats that have a wider range of action than the normal canoes and special techniques.

10. Tanzania started with bilateral assistance; a small fish meal industry based on Haplochromis. It is reported that the plant located at Mwanza is operating fairly well even though the variety of species complicates the operation. The plant is supplied by four trawlers. Conflicts between trawlers and inshore fishermen can arise easily as both can be competing for higher value species.

11. Other opportunities for fishery development are possible in Lake Victoria. Improvements of fishery products through a reduction of fish spoilage would make available to consumers considerable quantities of fish now lost. Efforts could also be made to increase the market value of the fish produced, which would make it possible to raise the income of fishermen and facilitate the introduction of better techniques. The improvement of distribution facilities throughout the region would stimulate marketing and increase demand and thus fish prices.

12. Little is known on shared stocks in Lake Victoria. Some non-cichlid species make seasonal migration from shallow inshore waters into rivers and swamps and could cross international borders. Offshore Haplochromis stocks are probably somewhat mobile. Proper biological sampling programmes would provide useful information on shared stocks, population structure and migrations of exploited species.

SELECTION AND CLARIFICATION OF OBJECTIVES

13. Fisheries are one of the most obvious examples of the exploitation of a natural resource, where neither the number of fishermen nor their respective fishing effort is controlled naturally until net benefits to be derived from the fisheries reach zero, i.e., are equal to net costs. Once this point is reached a gain in efficiency by some fishermen will mean an equal loss in production to others and, if alternative employment exists, these will leave the fishery because their cost will be greater than their benefits. In other words, as long as a fishery produces a net economic gain, it will attract fishing effort (fishermen) which will, in turn, increase total costs; this process will continue until net economic gains are completely dissipated. In national, as well as international fisheries, this evolution can easily reach the point where the resource base is seriously damaged as we have seen in the case of Labeo fisheries in the northern part of Lake Victoria.

14. Overfishing usually happens in three distinct steps, the first one is economic and the other two are of a biological nature. First, we have a period of overcapitalization, i.e., a situation where the number of fishermen and boats is excessive compared to the resource. Second, we find growth overfishing, i.e., an excessive fishery of exploitable stocks leading to the catching of younger and younger fish. Third, we reach recruitment overfishing, that is, the catching of broodstocks.

15. These three phenomena are successive, meaning that the need to protect a certain stock appears only after overcapitalization or excessive entry is already a fact.

16. Riparian countries sharing Lake Victoria may choose to utilize the fishery resources of their share of the lake in various, and sometimes, different ways. Some objectives can be, for example, to maximize production in value (economic yield) or in weight (fish protein), or exports for countries with surplus production, or employment in areas with little alternative employment or in order to slow down rural emigration. The objectives selected will depend on national needs and priorities.

17. Choice and definition of management objectives should take into consideration, not only the value of production, but also the inherent costs, thus making it possible to maximize net economic benefits.

18. Objectives, whether economic, social or nutritional, can be realized at various levels of production.

19. Social aspects need also be carefully considered in selecting specific objectives. At any given time the volume of employment in the fishing sector will be approximately proportional to the fishing effort. The need to limit or reduce the catching of a certain stock will, therefore, have a direct repercussion on employment. On the contrary, the individual income of the fisherman will be a function of the catch per unit of effort, that is, the income of a fisherman or a group of fishermen will be higher the less is the rate of exploitation of a given fishery.

20. This means that maximization of employment and improvement of average income are in direct conflict. In the case of artisanal fisheries as in Lake Victoria, the level of the fishery is largely influenced by the minimum acceptable income, taking into account availability of alternative employment in other economic sectors. This appears to be the case in Kenya where, reportedly alternative employment in agriculture is scarce and pressure on the fishery, therefore very high. In such a case, the only way of improving the average income of the fishermen is to limit entry into the fishery. It is obvious that the problem facing the Kenyan authorities in the Winam Gulf is much bigger than that facing the fisheries and must be looked at in an overall integrated manner.

21. Even in areas where the resources are relatively abundant, an increase of the average income of the fishermen would require limitation of entry at a level that would ensure a fairly high stock density, thus ensuring higher economic yields.

22. The maximization of food production and employment could both be realized by the expansion of the Haplochromis fishery, which appears to be the only one with a large unused potential. This, however, would require the introduction of new technologies in the catching and processing, as well as market development. The introduction of completely new modern technology, such as, modern trawlers, may give rise to conflicts between fishermen and bring forward other problems. But the evolution of existing artisanal technology toward an intermediate or appropriate technology would aim at balancing increase in productivity with increase in production, thereby keeping in mind the mid and long-term labour absorption capacity of the fishery and related industries and the natural growth of fishermen populations. In addition, the development of more economical fish catching techniques would reduce costs and increase efficiency.

23. After the identification of the various objectives and the comparison of the conditions of their implementation, comes their selection; this can be facilitated by the analysis of the long-term contribution of the fishery sector to the national economy. The final choice which is political, implies an allocation decision in favour of an economic group. The study of biological, technical, economic and social aspects of the fisheries should, nevertheless, assist decision-making and improve the chances of proper selection of the various options.

24. The selection of objectives of any fishery (multi-species inshore or offshore) will also bring out objective criteria to evaluate the efforts and the costs of managing the fishery with a view to attaining the objectives in question.

25. It has been noted in other areas where the fishing effort has been limited, that the fishermen themselves have succeeded in reducing individual fishing time when compared to areas where fishing is not limited. In such controlled areas the length of the fish caught shows that the stocks fished are older, the result of less intensive fishing. In those areas the fishermen themselves allocate effectively the resource among themselves, control competition in regulating entry, limit total and individual fishing effort and arrive at a more rational biological and economic exploitation of the stocks.

26. It is essential, however, that the authority responsible for the management of the resource determines the number of fishermen and monitors their activities (fishing effort, fishing gear and boats) and keeps them at a predetermined level not to be exceeded.

27. Limitation of entry, an obvious necessity in most highly exploited fisheries, can be costly and difficult to implement particularly in areas, such as, Lake Victoria where vast expanses of water and lengthy coastlines make enforcement next to impossible. This is why the allocation of the resource itself for low mobility species or limited fishing capacity for mobile species should be made to as small groups of fishermen as possible to ensure a decent economic yield (minimization of fishing costs) and most important, to give the groups selected an incentive to manage and preserve the resource themselves. Furthermore, old and traditional management schemes should be evaluated and where advisable, revived, e.g., mesh size regulation, as they are likely to provide more adequate solutions to conflicts than new ones. The possibility of introducing more selective fishing gear and operations should also be investigated.

28. Development plans as well as assistance projects, which are not based on an overall assessment of unit fisheries and which ignore the specific dynamics of fisheries, are in serious risk of not identifying the adequate opportunities and priorities for action and of leading to increased biological and economic overfishing. It can be concluded that overall assessment, clarification of objectives and formulation of long-term policies must precede programming, project formulation and implementation.

29. Furthermore, particularly in the case of Lake Victoria, it is essential to obtain the support of the fishermen and give them incentive to manage and preserve their own fisheries.

30. This is no simple matter when we consider that there are at least 5 000 fishermen in Lake Victoria. Fishery management, to be successful, must be focussed on and serve the specific needs of the fishing communities. It requires village level action and participation by fisheries operators themselves, in the elaboration of management measures and their enforcement. Public information programmes to convince fishermen of the need to manage the resource should be supported by effective training programmes aimed at educating them.

Coordinated action by riparian countries to share experience, formulate programmes and compare results, is essential. The fishery cannot be regulated from outside; the area is too vast. The communities need to be educated to be able to see the benefits they will derive from better management.

COMMON FIELDS OF INTEREST AND REGIONAL COLLABORATION

31. The maintenance and enhancement of the fishery resources of Lake Victoria for the sustained benefits of the people of the region make it imperative that the lake be treated as an ecological unit. This fact should be constantly in the mind of the national authorities responsible for fishery management.

32. The lake being a natural ecological unit, data developed and published by the riparian countries, should not be only comparable, but also available to all the countries concerned. A statistical system to generate meaningful data would be desirable, but perhaps not essential as long as the countries, in close consultation, develop comparable national systems.

33. Studies of the distribution of fish stocks, traditional fish catching techniques, fishing efforts and of migrations throughout the lake and the joint analysis of the information generated, would contribute to the common understanding of the evolving situation, as well as make it possible to achieve economies of scale in research and avoid overlapping activities.

34. The integration of biologic, social and economic data in national strategies for the management and development of the fisheries would also benefit from a regional approach. Similarly, technical research on problems of regional importance, such as, for instance, the development of a rational Haplochromis fishery (product development and the marketing of fresh and processed Haplochromis), could best be tackled at the regional level or, at least, the research coordinated regionally. In addition, the strengthening of information and extension service throughout the region appears advisable.

35. The regulation of the fisheries in Lake Victoria has gone through various phases. Traditionally, the fishermen of Lake Victoria were highly mobile and some fishing units (such as beach seines) were composed of individuals from several different tribes and nationalities. Where regulations differed among the three states, fishermen, in times of political stability, could move to the state with the most favourable regulations. This is but one example of the advantage for the riparian state to harmonize their fishery regulation, particularly with respect to shared stocks, common exploitation, marketing and trade practices.

36. One problem that stands out is that of fish introductions. Several types of tilapias and Nile perch were introduced to Lake Victoria in the 1960s, bringing about a significant change in the composition of the inshore stocks. With increased attention being given to aquaculture in the drainage basin and even to possible enhancements of inshore stocks through culture of fry, both intentional and accidental introductions are likely to continue to occur. As introductions affect the whole lake and may change considerably the quality of the habitat, their control must be regarded as an intergovernmental problem.

37. The lack of a vehicle for the dissemination of information, both scientific and technical, is a drawback of no small importance. The publication of the African Journal of Tropical Hydrobiology and Fisheries ceased with the dissolution of EAFFRO. Likewise, the exchange of scientific publications literally stopped with the ending of Lake Victoria Regional Fisheries Research Project. Early resumption of an effective information and publication exchange system is an additional pressing regional priority.

POSSIBLE ACTIONS OF REGIONAL INTEREST

38. In addition to the selection of national and regional fishery management and development objectives, the countries may wish to discuss and select priority actions for regional collaboration. A list of possible actions is given below in tabular form to facilitate discussion and completion. Papers prepared by Member States and discussions at the Sub-Committee meeting should make it possible to complete the list and establish some order of priority.

DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES, AREAS OF CONCENTRATION AND ACTION REQUIRED

Overall Objective

To maintain and enhance the fishery resources of Lake Victoria for the sustained benefits of the people of the region.

SUGGESTED ACTION BY THE SUB-COMMITTEE

39. On the basis of paper CIFA:DM/LV/81/4 “Review of the Status of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria” and the papers presented by the countries themselves on development and management issues, as well as this paper, the Sub-Committee may wish to:

1. Decide on the national and international objectives for the development and management of the fisheries of Lake Victoria;

2. Determine strategies to achieve those objectives;

3. Select priority actions to be undertaken at a regional and national level to attain selected objectives, and

4. Clarify the role of CIFA Sub-Committee for Lake Victoria as the coordination mechanism to assist riparian countries in the management and development of the fisheries of the lake.