APPENDIX J
Country Paper: Kenya

Main Development and Management Issues of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria

INTRODUCTION

The fishery potential of Kenya's portion of Lake Victoria can best be disscussed in relation to the overall national fisheries potential. The modest estimate of Kenya's potential yield of fish is put at 150 000 t comprising 75 000 t of freshwater fish and 75 000 t of marine fish. Within the overall freshwater fisheries sub-sector, Kenya's portion of Lake Victoria makes the largest contribution of 30 000 t against an estimated optimal harvest of 25 000 t taken by the artisanal fishermen. This estimate, has been surpassed in recent years by the record catches of fish amounting to 30 592 t in 1979 and 26 914 t in 1980. The value to the fishermen amounted to K.Sh. 57 million and 59 million, respectively. The second largest contributor to the freshwater fisheries production is Lake Turkana with 25 000 t of fish against an estimated optimal harvest of about 20 000 t. The balance of the freshwater fisheries potential of 20 000 t comes from smaller lakes, namely, Baringo, Chala, Jipe, Naivasha and Sabaki.

Compared with the agricultural sector, the fisheries sector makes a small but significant contribution to the national economy in terms of nutrition and provision of employment opportunities to the rural and urban communities. It is for these reasons that the Government accords the fisheries sector a relatively high priority in its National Development Plan and has continued to mobilize local and international funds to ensure rapid development of fisheries and efficient management of the fisheries resources.

Lake Victoria is one of the largest lakes in the world with an area of about 67 000 km². Its waters fall within the national boundaries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Kenyan portion of the lake covers approximately 10 percent of the entire shoreline of the lake. It is indeed the smallest, but one of the most productive parts of the lake. However, due to the scarcity of agricultural land on the Kenyan side and the absence of alternative sources of employment, fishing has attracted many fishermen and nearly 50 percent of the total population of fishermen in Lake Victoria operate on the Kenyan side. As a consequence, intensive fishing of inshore species, mostly cichlids, prevails on the Kenyan side leading to what appears to be overfishing of some of the inshore stocks. Little fishing is done in the deeper offshore fishing grounds where stocks of Haplochromis remain abundant and underfished. The need to develop this fishery for commercial exploitation is now becoming more urgent than ever before.

CURRENT OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the fisheries sector is to maximize production of fish on a sustainable basis in order to increase the supply of badly needed cheap animal protein and also to increase employment opportunities in the rural areas. The development of the fisheries should stimulate investment from international, as well as national sources, for this sector. Through export of fish and fishery products, it is expected to generate foreign exchange for the country.

PRIORITIES OF FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT

1. Development of fishing capability of small-scale fishermen by improving their traditional fishing methods and equipping them with motorized boats and modernized fishing gear.

2. Improvement of fish landings and provision of fish handling and processing facilities. This will involve establishment of eight fishing centres and nine fishing stations at the main landing beaches along the Kenyan portion of Lake Victoria. Both fishing centres and stations will have sorting sheds, insulated stores, drying racks, smoking houses, insulated ice boxes and fish boxes. The fishing centres will also be provided with offices, stores and housing for staff. The centres will be larger than the stations because the former will be more accessible and will serve as the main collection as well as the direct landing points.

3. To facilitate access by land to the centres, about 10 km, approach roads will be built. These will be constructed to standards adopted for the Rural Access Road Programme.

4. Well equipped boatyards will be built to facilitate repair and maintenance of boats.

5. A fish replenishment programme will be undertaken to replenish the depleted stocks of Tilapia. This will necessitate establishment of restocking centres around the lake which will produce fingerlings of Tilapia for stocking in the lake.

6. In order to stop overfishing of some of the inshore fish stocks and ensure effective management of all fisheries resources in the lake, it will be necessary to revise the existing fisheries legislation in order to ensure effective control of gear types used in the fishery and to protect the breeding and nursery grounds located in the lake. This may necessitate introduction of the closed fishing seasons and banning the use of destructive fishing gears, such as mosquito nets.

7. In order to minimize fishing pressure on inshore stocks, it will be necessary to develop the Haplochromis fishery. This will require acquisition of trawlers and introduction of the appropriate fishing technologies in catching, processing and marketing of this resource. Artisanal fishermen will have to be encouraged to exploit the fishery if fishing pressure on inshore stocks, mostly Tilapia, is to be minimized.

8. The fisheries data collection system is inadequate in the sense that it lacks some useful biological information which could help in drawing up management plans for the fishery. The data collection system should be improved and standardized in order to give as much information as possible on the state of the fishery.

9. In order to maximize production of fish, it will be necessary to embark on artificial/cultural fish programmes. In this context, it is intended to establish a pilot Fish Farm Centre at Kabonyo in the Kisumu district. The main objective of this programme will be the experimental production of suitable warmwater species such as Tilapia and carp. If successful, other fish farms will be established in Nyanza and Western Provinces.

10. Due to the consumer preference, certain species of fish have become unpopular in some areas and popular in others. The need to explore export markets for unpopular species would therefore be desirable. In Kenya, production of Nile perch is on the increase, and although this is not an unpopular fish, an export outlet should be found to avoid flooding the local market with this commodity.

RESOURCE ISSUES

The Lake Victoria fishery has one of the longest histories of exploitation, and on the Kenyan side, fishing operations are characterized by involvement of very experienced fishermen in fishing activities resulting in intense fishing pressure on the whole gulf area.

In the past, the important fishery in the Kenyan waters remained that of Tilapia, Haplochromis, Bagrus, Clarias, Protopterus and Engraulicypris and others forming a small percentage of catch. The problem of the gulf fishery therefore remained that of multispecies, nature making it difficult to execute control on the use of destructive fishing gears. At the moment, Tilapia, Bagrus, Clarias and Protopterus seem to have been overexploited. The fisheries which remain underexploited and which emerged in the gulf during the last decade is the Nile perch fishery. Haplochromis has been overexploited in the inner part of the gulf but remains unexploited in the outer part of the gulf and the open waters. The Engraulicypris fishery has been stable and may be considered to have been under-utilized. It is a fishery which could be developed further so as to improve its production levels.

The other fisheries which may have been overutilized in the gulf are the migratory or riverine species, such as Barbus, Labeo, Schilbe, Alestes and Synodontis. These species have tended toward the decline and there is fear of their total depletion in the gulf. These fisheries may be protected by control over the gillnet sizes used in gulf fishing, an approach that would be more effective if approached regionally.

TECHNOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

Attempts to mechanize the industry in the past has been rather difficult partly because of the conservative nature of the fishermen and partly because of increased overheads, as a result of mechanization, without necessarily increasing output. Hence, the fishing crafts used in the gulf fishery have in large part remained traditional with approximately 4 000 boats of which about 10 percent are motorized and about 75 percent sail propelled. The others are propelled manually. The boats are generally made of planked wood or are dugout canoes, and a few made of fibreglass.

Insofar as fishing gears are concerned the types and varieties of nets vary in accordance with the characters of the water body, as well as the type of fishery that is dominant in a particular area of the gulf. Therefore the main gears used in the gulf are either beach seines, mosquito seines, gillnets or varied mesh sizes, longlining, traditional traps, fishing rods and lines.

UTILIZATION, DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING

Most of the fish produced around the Kenyan Gulf is destined for local consumption in the fresh-fish market. However, with the turn in fisheries trend (i.e., the catch being dominated by Nile perch) improved processing methods have been adopted making it possible to market Nile perch fillets in remote and urban centres. The export market is already being explored by the local fish dealers, to absorb excess products and early indications are that there is likely to be great success in this direction.

Since there is a geographical imbalance between production and consumption areas, marketing arrangements for fish products continue to vary according to species and from place to place. Tilapia, which is caught mostly in the open or outer section of the gulf, is marketed in inland and urban markets where its popularity is dominant. Engraulicypris, Haplochromis and catfish are generally consumed locally or marketed inland mainly in processed form.

It may well be noted here that the smoked catfish products which are less popular in Kenya are more popular in Uganda where the market is restricted owing to border controls. Similarly Protopterus, which is largely caught and processed in Tanzania, is limited in the Kenyan market owing to border restriction.

In 1980 a total weight of 26 914 t was landed on Kenyan beaches and of these 13 704 t were consumed in fresh form while 13 210 t were processed. The amount that is generally discarded or spoiled is negligible.

It is apparent, that marketing of fish products from Lake Victoria will continue to be a key factor in the development of the lake region. However, fish distribution and marketing remain major problems in most developing countries and it is an area which will obviously demand regional cooperation in our management efforts.

STATISTICAL AND MANAGEMENT DATA

The Fisheries Department maintains a statistical unit which is concerned with maintenance of data related to fish catch trends in the whole Republic. Data are maintained both regionally with a centralized unit at the office of the Director of Fisheries. Such data are used as a guideline in the formulation of management policies and as a pointer to areas with potential for national development of the fishing industry.

IMPORTANT SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES

The gulf fishery is characterized by low productivity owing to dependence on artisanal technology coupled with poor quality products from traditional processing methods. The inadequate marketing and distribution systems which are further affected by restrictions on interstate trade somehow affect the local fishermen adversely and as a result the middlemen tend to benefit more than the actual producer.

There are a variety of conflicts in the gulf fishery, i.e., the conflict between the medium- and small-scale fisherman, the conflict between shore and mid-water seiners both in terms of product pricing, fishing ground and destructive nature of some fishing gears. The trawlers come into conflict with the local fisherman operating gillnets and beach seiners are also accused of destroying the nursery, breeding grounds and juvenile fish. Mosquito-net seiners on the other hand are accused of destroying both the larval and juvenile fish. Conflict also exist among the gillnet operators in terms of mesh sizes used by different individuals, some of which may be considered destructive especially the undersized nets. These types of nets are used to fish the medium-sized species such as Synodontis, Labeo and Haplochromis which in part catch larger numbers of juvenile Nile perch and young Tilapias. In pricing, major commercial operators tend to supress prices creating serious disparity for the small-scale fishermen.

Women do not play a major role in the actual fishing operation in the gulf, however, they do play important roles as middlemen. The women organize the transportation of fish products and subsequent marketing of such products at the appropriate marketing institutions. Since the majority of fishermen are relatively poor, the women fish traders have played important roles in financing actual fishing operations and also loaning facilities to fishermen.

This trend manifests a disparity which exist between the fishermen and the middlemen and which indeed require to be looked into in our development and management efforts.

In the Kenyan case the Department has been encouraging the formation of producer associations (mainly cooperatives) to serve as channels for institutional credits and institutional framework through which prices may be controlled to equally benefit the actual producers by breaking the traditional link between fishermen and women or local fish buyers.

MAJOR MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS

In the management area, several problems call for immediate attention. Those are production areas that relate to endemic and a new fishery, support of marketing and producer association; marketing and distribution system; control and utilization of traditional and modern gears; and finally, environmental problems associated with the development of secondary industries.

Despite overfishing symptoms, the total harvest of the gulf fishery may be increased, with the emergence of a new fishery (the Nile perch fishery) by increasing fishing effort directed mainly toward the predators. This conclusion is valid because of the high human population pressure around the gulf coupled with the difficulty of imposing unpopular restriction upon thousands of autonomous fishing canoes, which tend to rule out reduction of fishing effort from a practical point of view. Alternatively, fish landings in the gulf could be increased by heavier fishing by changes in gear composition. Such changes may increase the yield twofold.

Production may also be increased through properly organized fishermen-cooperative societies which are now hit by lack of managerial skills and basic facilities upon which to build a marketing cooperative, and the attitude of traget groups that are generally not inclined to participate in cooperatives owing to custom and traditional influence.

Inspite the past and present difficulties, cooperative concept offers a basic framework for self-help and has a stronger political voice that may influence national development programmes in fishing areas.

With the increase in production and the successful development of the cooperatives the Government will need to provide facilities for landing, handling, preservation, distribution and marketing of fish to serve the gulf fishery. Such arrangement would help to reduce the fishing operators dependence on middlemen and traders.

With the development of secondary industries around the gulf, a fishery is likely to suffer direct damage from contamination caused by the discharge of pollutants and oil from concentrated factories and the developing urban areas.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ACTION BY THE SUB-COMMITTEE

1. Revival of the East African Fisheries Technical Committee is necessary in order to provide a forum through which fisheries scientists from the three riparian states could meet to exchange research information and discuss management problems affecting their respective fisheries. As this committee deals with issues affecting both marine and freshwater fisheries, it may not be established under the auspices of the Committee on Inland Fisheries (CIFA). A suitable patron has to be found, preferably FAO.

2. Due to seasonal migrations of fish in the lake, the riparian states may wish to introduce reciprocal fishing arrangements to enable the fishermen to follow fish in the lake. They may also consider to establish an interstate trade in fish and fishery products under the same arrangements. This will be in the interest of all fishermen and fish dealers from the three riparian states.

3. In view of the fact that the three riparian states share the same stocks of fish and the same body of water, the need to harmonize their fisher legislation and the environmental law is highly desirable. If this action were taken, pollution of the lake would be avoided and proper management of the fishery will be effected.

4. As one of the vital functions of the Sub-Committee, it will be required to promote and coordinate research activities in Lake Victoria. This will require sharing of the limited resources of manpower and equipment in surveillance, law enforcement and in the conduct of fisheries scientific research. This action, if taken, would greatly enhance the efficiency of the Sub-Committee.

5. Regional collaboration will be required in dissemination of scientific information and in improvement and standardization of a fisheries data collection system. The present collection system is inadequate in that it leaves out useful information which could assist in designing better management plans for the fishery.

APPENDIX K
Country Paper: Tanzania

Main Development and Management Issues of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria

BACKGROUND

1. The waters of Lake Victoria shared by the three riparian states of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, harbour a treasure of fishery resources. The importance of fish and fishery products from this Lake has been realized for quite a long time. Of the Lake's total area (62 600 km²) over half (32 800 km²) belongs to Tanzania.

2. Research cruises by the R/V IBIS (1969), a research vessel owned by the defunct East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization, estimated standing stocks of demersal fish totalling about 680 000 t in Lake Victoria. Of these 387 000 t belonged to the Tanzanian waters, which is estimated to be over 50 percent of the entire Lake. It was recommended that 100 000 t could be harvested annually without seriously affecting the stocks. This is in fact a promising potential catch if one has seriously to engage in commercial trawl fishery.

3. In order that fishing effort be interpreted within the scope of the biological demands, there arises a need for lake-wide exploratory surveys, putting in use the various fishing gears as a prelude to sophisticated stock assessment studies. This has been a normal practise by EAFFRO and the UNDP/FAO Research Projects. (Kudhongania et al., 1974; Kukowski, 1978).

4. Since the breakdown of the East African Community and hence the Lake Victoria Fisheries Commission, little is known of the trends in the various fisheries of the Lake.

5. Earlier studies by Kudhongania et al. (1974) had indicated that, relative abundance of the major taxa in the Lake, follow this order of decreasing significance by weight; Haplochromis sp., Bagrus docmac, Clarias mosambicus, Protopterus aethiopicus, Tilapia esculenta, Tilapia nilotica, Synodontis victoriae, Tilapia variabilis and Lates niloticus. It was also found out that, the species diversity and abundance for some species decreased with depth. Some of the bottom taxa, Haplochromis, Xenoclarias sp., Synodontis victoriae and Bagrus docmac, are found over the whole depth range in the Lake. One should realise however that the genus Haplochromis comprises over 250 species, each with its own specific depth range. However, in the deepest zone (70–79 m) Haplochromis and Bagrus docmac are often absent. The best catches of Bagrus docmac and Haplochromis are consistently found between 10–60 m. The fact that Bagrus and Haplochromis sp. show the same trends in relative, abundance, depth preference and diurnal vertical migration, strongly suggests a close Bagrus-Haplochromis tie in their ecological predator-prey relationship.

6. Good catches of Clarias are fairly ubiquitous, although often waters shallower than 30 m harbour relatively higher concentrations. Catches of Tilapia and Protopterus are best in depths less than 20 m and seem to drop drastically with increasing depth up to 50 and 60 m. Species like Synodontis afrofischeri, Schilbe mystus and Mommyrus kannume can hardly be found in the deepest zone. (Kudhongania et al., 1974).

7. This knowledge of species distribution according to depths, is important and can act as a guideline when planning for the proper exploitation of the resources.

8. The knowledge of species distribution, however has to be taken with precaution, bearing in mind the diurnal vertical migrations of some of the fishes; Kudhongania et al. (1974), made a series of trawls over comparable transects in different areas for a period of 24 h and his results gave evidence for interspecific segregation. Bottom and mid-water trawl are complementary in sampling the temporal - spatial vertical migrations among certain species in the Lake. For example, catches of Haplochromis sp., Bagrus and T. esculenta are higher in demersal catches made during the day, while in pelagic trawl shots, catches of these species are higher during the night. However, catches of T. nilotica, Protopterus aethiopicus and Momyrids show the reverse trend.

9. The large stock of Haplochromis need further attention. Until 1970, the experimental catch data indicated an underexploitation of this resource. It was found out that, there was around 200 000 t of Haplochromis sp., that could be harvested from the entire Lake every year without exceeding maximum sustainable yield. Although no current research has been done for the whole Lake, the investigations by Van Oijen et al. (1981) and Witte (1981) in the Mwanza Gulf shows that over exploitation of Haplochromis sp. may occur. Studies on the species distribution and catch composition revealed that haplochromine fishes are strongly habitant restricted (e.g., to depth and bottom type). It would therefore follow from this that, should trawl shots be localized on certain habitats, restocking from the neighbouring habitats would not be readily possible.

10. Witte (1981), has also found that the majority of the Haplochromis sp. have breeding peaks; in which case breeding and non-breeding fishes coexist. Due to the mouth brooding behaviour of the haplochromine cichlids (Fryer and Iles, 1972), eggs and youngs just hatched are caught together with brooding females. Therefore Witte (op. cit.) suggests reduction or complete abolition of fishing during the period of maximum spawning, and increase of codend mesh sizes so that younger fishes are not caught.

11. Since a significant number of the people of East Africa, like in many other developing nations, is beset with protein malnutrition, the tremendous stocks of Haplochromis sp. in Lake Victoria could be used to remedy the situation. It was formerly observed that the haplochromine fishes, due to their generally small size and larger number of bones, are unpopular and hence difficult to popularize their consumption. Current observations and marketing research by the Freshwater Fisheries Training Institute Nyegezi (Ganseman, 1977) now show the reverse trend. Though some social groups will not take Haplochromis as a first preference, there are many areas where these fishes sell fast. Dried, smoked and fresh forms can now be seen in markets around the Lake.

12. The reliability or stability of the Haplochromis sp. as a food resource cannot be considered separately without looking at the ecological relationships. These fishes are in essence endemic to the Lake. They have invaded almost every habitable site in the Lake, with definitely a wide range of ecological adaptation. A large number of species in this genus (over 250 species) can be placed in 11 trophic groups, each species showing a specific range of ecological tolerance (Van Oijen et al., 1981).

13. Haplochromis occurs at all stages in the food chain (primary, secondary and tertiary feeders), and it is also a prey to other fishes. Hence anything affecting the stocks of Haplochromis would be reflected within the biotic potential of the Lake.

14. The Rastrineobola (Engraulicypris) fishery in the Lake has given rise to a very important fishery, formely unexploited. The significance of this fishery never came to the minds of the people until the year 1970; when it started to appear in the markets (Okedi, 1979).

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

15. The national policy of the fisheries sector aims at the promotion of fish production in order to increase domestic consumption as an aid to improved nutrition, raising the income of fishing communities and also developing an export market to earn foreign exchange.

16. The Lake Victoria fishery is an important one in the local economy, as it represents the first truly commercial enterprise operated by local fishermen.

17. From the current observation, the Rastrineobola may play a role in the fisheries of Lake Victoria, similar to Haplochromis, despite current lack of knowledge about its standing stocks. The recognition of this resource in the latest years, calls for re-assessments of the resources in the Lake, since the already existed figures did include standing stocks of Rastrineobola.

18. In general there are claims that future investments in Haplochromis and Rastrineobola fisheries are most promising. It is on this point, that the three countries bordering Lake Victoria, have to be involved fully into the investigations leading to the recognition of trends of the various fisheries operating in this Lake.

19. Generally speaking no fisheries can be developed without the development of fishing boats and gears. The Government had realized the importance of having such facilities way back in the late 1960s. A boatyard was built at Mwanza, very close to the fishnet factory at Mwanza.

20. Expansion programmes of the boatyard could not be effected at that location, hence it was decided to shift it to Pasiansi where a steel boatyard has now been established. The Pasiansi boatyard will be capable of producing both wooden and steel boats up to 120 t dead weight. This venture is being undertaken with the assistance of the Netherland Government.

21. Field problems regard to the maintenance and operations of the Tanzania Fisheries Coorporation (TAFICO) boats have surfaced to date mainly due to inadequate care and maintenance. At the moment, out of ten 35 ft-stern-trawlers built between 1977 and 1980, only four are operational.

22. The current programmes for the development of Lake Victoria have been largely influenced by the Lake Victoria Fisheries Research undertaken jointly by the United Nation Development Programme, FAO and the defunct East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization (EAFFRO) during the second half of the 1960s. The strategies of the research programmes had centred on monitoring trawling effort and its effect upon fish stocks with a view to formulating management rules and regulations. Surveys and assessments of pelagic stocks were done in order to establish possibilities for the expansion of pelagic, as well as demersal resources exploitation. Processing and marketing experiments of Haplochromis as a source of food for human consumption were undertaken in order to maximize utilization of this apparently abundant resource.

23. The preliminary results of the outlined research programmes have already indicated the line of development to be undertaken toward establishing commercial fishing and processing ventures.

24. The Nyanza Fishing and Processing Company based in Mwanza was established in the early 1970s on the grounds that there were abundant stocks of Haplochromis sp., which needed intensified exploitation and processing. The company was specifically established in order to exploit and process Haprochromis sp., into fishmeal for animal feeds.

25. Early in 1974 Tanzania Fisheries Corporation (TAFICO) was launched by the Tanzanian Government with the objective of establishing and expanding fishing and other allied industries. TAFICO took over the Mwanza boatyard in order to speed-up the construction of boats for Lake Victoria.

26. The National Cold Chain Operation (NCCO) was established by the Tanzanian Government also in the early 1970s in order to undertake the marketing of perishable products, especially vegetables and fish, in the country. All these institutions later established their centres on Lake Victoria in order to ensure progressive development and exploitation of fishery resources in Lake Victoria.

27. Since the late 1960s the Tanzanian Government has been vigorously mobilizing the fishermen to accept mechanized boats with inboard or out board engines. Though the call has been accepted there are now a number of outstanding hurdles to be surmounted.

1. There are too few skilled fishermen to operate and maintain these motorized vessels.

2. Engines and spare parts are not readily available due to lack of foreign exchange.

3. Many imported articles, e.g., navigation aids, pipes, paints, cannot be easily obtained.

The shortage of these items greatly discouraged those who intended to mechanize their fishing vessels.

28. Turning now to fishing gears, there exist a number of problems both technical and non-technical. The non-technical problems include thefts, non-availabilities of fishing nets and netting material. On technical problems mention may be made concerning the net types and sizes in relation to the fishing boats. The Nyegezi Fisheries Training Institute staff are assisting greatly by giving seminars and workshops to fishermen of the region with regard to net mounting, repairs, maintenance and operation.

29. In an effort to improve the quality of fishing vessels, Tanzania is taking the following action:

1. Search for less expensive boat-building materials.

2. Provision of vocational/technological training to both extension staff and fishermen is being expanded and intensified.

3. Export promotion of certain types of fish and marine products is being encouraged in order to earn foreign exchange that would be used in importing engines, and spare parts.

4. Efforts are being made to modify the fishing vessels to produce less energy-consuming types and to improve the use of sails and hand-driven winches in order to reduce reliance on the expensive oil.

FISH UTILIZATION, DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING

30. Generally Tanzanian fisheries are heavily dependent on freshwater fisheries resources. More than 80 percent of the fish landed is from freshwater. Over 95 percent of the fish landed and marketed in the country is handled in traditional forms and the Lake Victoria fisheries exhibit a similar pattern. The majority of the Tanzanian fishermen preserve, process and market the fish without the use of, or access to modern, specialized equipment.

31. Though a large percentage of the Lake resources are consumed fresh, local processing is greatly diversified. Sun drying, smoking, icing and frying are being undertaken to facilitate distribution and marketing of the fish far away from the Lake.

32. With regard to utilization, a large percentage of the fish are utilized in the fresh form, especially for the table-sized species.

(a) Icing and Freezing

This is commercially conducted by the National Cold Chain Operational Centre at Mwanza, Musoma and Bukoba, where ice-making machines have been installed. Most of the iced and frozen fish is air-freighted to Dar-es-Salaam.

Table 1 gives iced and frozen fish handled by NCCO as a marketing agent over the first half of 1981.

(b) Smoking (Warm and Hot)

Fishermen, especially those operating in less populated towns and villages or islands, have problems of disposing their catch immediately. They therefore have to process them first and then transport to big towns for further transportation to distant markets. This processing is highly established on Kome Island and Ukerewe/Ukara Islands. Fish processed in this form are mainly: Bagrus, Protopterus, Barbus, Clarias, Schilbe and Haplochromis.

(c) Sun-drying

This type of processing is done on Haplochromis sp. These fishes are sun-dried on bare ground and rocky surfaces. The fish is sold to the National Milling Corporation (NMC), Dar-es-Salaam, for processing into fishmeal for animal feeds.

(d) Fish Filleting

Preparation of fish fillets are mainly for specialized markets. Recently the filleting of Protopterus - traditionally the least preferred fish (because of its shape) - has been rewarding. Filleting of Tilapia is rather uneconomic as people prefer to consume whole Tilapia. The Nile perch and Protopterus are the main fishes used for preparation of fish fillets.

(e) Fish Frying

This is done by the use of oil (cooking). The fish is first brined, then dried before it is wholly or partially deeped in hot oil in the frying pan.

(f) Fishmeal Processing

Presently there are two companies which deal with this processing method commercially: the National Milling Corporation (NMC), in Dar-es-Salaam, and the Nyanza Fishing and Processing Company, in Mwanza.

33. The National Milling Corporation (NMC) had started this processing using fish remains; the meal so prepared was used for animal feed. At a later stage they had experimented on making the meal from small fishes like ‘dagaa’ and adding the meal to the maize flour for making it more nutritive; this was for human consumption. The programme was however abandoned due to high cost of the flour so fortified with proteins.

DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING OF FISHES AND FISH PRODUCTS

34. The Lake Victoria fisheries production had been on the increase (steadily) from 1970 (48 292 t) to 1979 (55 126.6 t), while it was the highest in 1977 (65 415.7 t). Though value-wise, the value had increased greatly from Tan.Sh. 21 178 100 (1970) to Tan.Sh. 167 589 200 (1979). The use of motorized boats and establishment of cooperative fishing activities, e.g., Nyanza Fishing Company, Ushirika Igogo, Nyegezi Fisheries Institute and Butimba Prison Fishing Unit has greatly affected the increase in the fishing industry. Lack of landing facilities, transportation, refrigeration equipment and fishing vessels are however major drawbacks. With regard to transport, most of the fishery products are transported by water, roads, rail, bicycle and on foot. Sun-dried Haplochromis is transported to Dodoma, Mtwara, Songea and Dar-es-Salaam within the country.

35. The NCCO in Mwanza prepares fish fillets out of Protopterus and freezes other fish for transportation to regional towns, such as, Shinyanga, Tabora, Dodoma, Morogoro and Dar-es-Salaam. These supplies are far from being adequate.

FISHERY DATA AND STATISTICS

36. Lake Victoria fisheries constitute about 31 percent of all freshwater fisheries of Tanzania and about 24.3 percent of all fisheries (freshwater/marine) of Tanzania. It is therefore evident that these fisheries are of great importance for the country.

37. There has been fluctuations of the products with 1977 recording the highest production of 214 307.7 t (Tan.Sh. 449 132 400) (see Table 2).

38. It is however, believed that the general trend of fish production has been increasing steadily and that the 1977 figures were affected by the introduction of the new data collection and compilation method, where-by there is a raising factor introduced to take care of the missing data. It is believed that may be this factor was highly inflated during the introduction period (see Table 3).

39. Though the general trend of production of the Lake Victoria fishery is showing a steady annual increase, it is an open secret that the fishery potential is declining year after year. Sizes of individual fish has been declining. Tilapia sp., used to be the main catch in the past, especially with the type of fishing method used (gillnetting). Today Haplochromis sp., (less valuable fish) make up to 40 percent of the catches.

MAJOR MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS

40. The Lake Victoria fishery is a common heritage for three riparian states of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. There is need for a common approach toward management of its resources. The setting-up of an institutional arrangement for its development and management will go a long way toward reaching this goal.

41. The recent introduction of trawlers as the main fishing method calls for the need to regulate the fishing areas. Trawlers, if not controlled, can considerably destroy the fishing industry, especially in inland waters like Lake Victoria. There is need to protect the small fishermen, as well as the breeding grounds for certain fishes. Presently trawlers are operating in waters more than 20 m deep. This regulation came out of the common regulation during the defunct Lake Victoria Fisheries Commission. The regulation was designed in order to protect breeding grounds for Tilapia and also to protect artisanal fishermen who use gillnets.

42. It is thus important that one of the duties of the Sub-Committee will be the up-dating of the research findings and strengthening the management measures for the benefit of the riparian states.

Table 1

NCCO, Mwanza: Data Sheet on Fish Handling and Processing

Table 2

Tanzania Fish Production 1975–79

Note: 1. Number of nets, includes various types of fishing gears, e.g., gillnets, sharknets, seine nets, etc.

2. 1979 figures are estimated based on average annual increase of fish production.

Table 3
Lake Victoria Fisheries

Source: Fisheries Division Annual Reports - 1970–79.

43. The Lake Victoria fishery industry is becoming an important socio-economic activity in the Lake Victoria region. Many more individuals are entering into it, so are private and public companies. It has proved to be a money-making industry. To protect all this investment it is imperative that the number of vessels and gears, especially for the trawlers operating in this Lake, be controlled. We may be faced otherwise with over investment or/and overexploitation of the resources. The technical Sub-Committee should therefore look into this to avoid subsequent repercussions.

CONCLUSION

44. Lake Victoria fisheries resources are a common heritage for the three riparian states. Since fish do not recognize man-made boundaries, it is evident that the problems of shared resources call for common approach in development and management.

45. While we commend the research conducted by the defunct EAFFRO and UNDP/FAO Project and the advice given by the Lake Victoria Fisheries Commission, we regret for the untimely demise. It is thus along these lines that we support the establishment of an instrument under FAO (CIFA Sub-Committee) for the Development and Management of the fisheries of Lake Victoria.

REFERENCES

Fryer, G. and T.D. Iles, 1972 The cichlid fishes of the great lakes of Africa, 641 pp. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh

Ganseman, A.Z., 1977 Draft proposal for a combined fishing and marketing of Haplochromis project in Bukoba. Samaki Nyegezi Report. (Mimeographed)

Kudhongania, A.W. and Almo J.Cordone, 1974a Batho spatial distribution patterns and biomass estimate of the major demersal fishes in Lake Victoria. Afr.J.Trop.Hydrobiol. Fish., 3(1):15–31

Kudhongania, A.W., 1974b Past trends, present stocks and possible future state of the fisheries of the Tanzanian part of the Lake Victoria. Afr.J.Trop.Hydrobiol.Fish., 3(2): 167–81

Kukowski, G., 1978 Final Report, Gary Kukowski, Offshore Fisheries Biologist WAFFRO, Mwanza, Tanzania

Oijen, M.J.P. van, F. Witte and E.L.M. Witte-Maas, 1981 An introduction to ecological and taxonomic investigations on the haplochromine cichlids from the Mwanza Gulf of Lake Victoria. Neth.J.Zool., 31:149–75

Okedi, J., 1979 The Engraulicypris ‘Dagaa’ Fishery of Lake Victoria: A Pilot study of the Ukerewe Island Complex ‘Dagaa’ Fishing Industry

Witte, F., 1981 Initial results of the ecological survey of the haplochromine cichlid fishes from the Mwanza Gulf of Lake Victoria (Tanzania): Breeding patterns, trophic and species distribution. (With recommendations for commercial trawl-fishery.) Neth.J.Zool., 31:175–202

APPENDIX L
Country Paper: Uganda

Main Development and Management Issues of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria

INTRODUCTION

1. The Place of Fisheries in National Development Plans

The fishing industry occupies an important place in the economy of Uganda. It not only provides the much needed animal protein, but also provides employment relating to fishing, boatbuilding, fish marketing, net making and other related activities. It is estimated that 35 000 people are engaged in actual fishing while 15 000 people are employed in other related industries.

Had it not been for the presence of the fishing industry, the country would have had to use what little foreign exchange it had to import animal protein rich food, thus curtailing developments in other areas of the economy which badly need foreign exchange to provide the necessary inputs. The Uganda Government, therefore, puts high priority on the development of fisheries. It is the fishery development programme which will help reduce malnutrition which is still a problem in the country and provide employment to people in rural areas, a measure which limits the immigration of people to urban areas. Such immigration increases urban problems. The emphasis the Government puts on the development of the fishing industry is evidenced by the rapid growth of the industry from the early 1960s to early 1970s. The impetus that had been given to the industry and the momentum it had gathered enabled it to survive the difficult times of the late 1970s when the country was plunged into economic turmoil which slowed down every aspect of economic growth. Everyone involved in the fishing industry, especially the creativity of the fisherman, must be congratulated since he is the primary producer and it is upon him that industry and those in other related activities depend. It is because of the progressive nature of the Ugandan fisherman that the catch once rose to 223 000 t in 1978 although there has been a decline whereby the catch has fallen to 165 000 t in 1980. Lake Victoria contributes 20–25 percent of the national catch. However once everything stabilizes economically, there is every hope that fish production will rise again to an estimated level of about 250 000 t by 1990.

2. Current Objectives and Priorities of the Fishing Industry

The development of the fishing industry on Lake Victoria aims at achieving maximum sustainable economic yield; improvement of fish landing facilities, such as processing and handling of fish; improvement and construction of access roads to fish landings; improvement of fish marketing facilities by installation of ice plants at fish landings in rural and urban markets. Exploratory fishing, water quality criteria studies, stock assessment, the increase of fish production through fish culture techniques, the investigations into various aspects of the fisheries development and administration, the development of fishing techniques geared toward exploiting such unutilized species as Haplochromis and Engraulicypris argenteus will be given serious attention. The development of fish products for direct human consumption from such species which are presently not utilized, like the fresh water bivalves, will have to be undertaken. The development of sport fishing will be required as a foreign exchange earner. Training of local personnel will have to be given serious attention in order to achieve the above objectives.

3. Resources Issues

There are 27 genera and 50 species excluding the Haplochromis spp. complex that are extensively utilized in Lake Victoria. Of the 50 species, four have been introduced from lakes situated on the western region of the country, viz., Lates niloticus, Sarotherodon nilotica, Sarotherodon leucosticta and Tilapia zillii. All the stocks in Lake Victoria are being shared by the three countries at the present day. Lake Victoria being a gillnet fishery for the three countries, there appears to be no conflicts, but it is possible that there could be conflicts between the artisanal fisherman and the industrial fisherman using trawlers. This will be so because stocks of conventional species are concentrated in the inshore waters of the lake and these are the most profitable species of markets. From this aspect, therefore, there are likely to be temptations on the part of the trawl fisherman to fish in shallow waters although this could be prohibited by law in the three countries sharing the lake.

The establishment of trawl fishing on the lake aims at utilizing the Haplochromis stocks which exist in the offshore waters of the lake. It can therefore be seen that there will be a sharing of these stocks, taking into account the land installation for the processing of the fish. The level of exploitation of these stocks on an annual basis has a lot of bearing on the size of land based installations which have to be established for the processing of the fish which will be caught feeding the fish processing plants to the required capacity, takes into account the continued supply of the raw materials to the shore of the lake.

Overutilized stocks

Examination of the catch statistics from the Uganda waters of Lake Victoria reveals a decline or complete absence of some species of fish which were once of commercial importance. These include such species as Labeo victorianus, popularly known as Ningu; Mormyrus spp., popularly known as Kasulubana; Alestes jacksonii and Alestes sadleri, both of them popularly known as Nsoga; Schilbe mystus, popularly known as Nzere and to some extent Barbus spp., popularly known as Kisinja. The absence of these species in the catch data may be due to greater fishing pressure. Examination of the data from the Game and Fisheries Department reports shows a rather low number of fishing boats and fishing nets set over night. In some fishing areas, such as Entebbe in 1949, the number of nets set per night could be as low as 181 nets, whereas in 1969 the number of nets set per night in the same area were as high as 3 600 nets.

Unutilized species

There are a number of species which are not utilized. These include some members of the families of cyprinidae, cyprinodontidae, anabantidae and mastacembelidae. Whereas the members of the families mentioned above may not be for direct human consumption, they may be of aesthetic interest in aquaria, but Engraulicypris argenteus can be fished and processed for direct human consumption.

Localized species

Occasional trawling which has been carried out in Uganda waters of Lake Victoria has revealed considerable quantities of fresh water bivalves. These are not wholly utilized except by a few fishermen who use them as baits for catching Clarias spp. and Protopterus aethiopicus.

4. Technological Problems

The present Lake Victoria fishery uses the planked canoes as the major fishing craft. They may be modified Ssese canoes to allow the use of an outboard engine or dugout canoes. These number as many as 2 700 on the Uganda waters of Lake Victoria presently. About 20 percent of these may be fitted with outboard engines. The gear being used is mainly gillnetting but longlines, beach seines, are used in the shallow waters of the lake. Weirs and basket traps are used in swampy areas.

The present canoes are exploiting mainly the inshore waters of the lake. The proposed introduction of trawling on the lake will have to aim at exploiting the distant waters. There is therefore a need to find a minimum length of a trawler which will operate economically and which will be able to stand up to the waves of the lake. This is necessary because the trawlers of shorter length may not stand up to the rough weather, in which case they will be forced to fish in swallow waters thus competing with canoe fishermen.

There has been a consideration for limiting the sizes of nets by way of mesh both for the trawl codend and for the gillnet as a measure for conserving the various stocks of fish. The only problem comes in as to how a legislation can be inacted without leading to loss of catches of various species, say of Haplochromis spp. and Synodontis spp., etc., which are caught by the artisanal fisherman in small mesh gillnets. The ratio at which gillnet is mounted has a bearing on the size of fish. This takes into account when one wishes to protect young fish which have not bred. The legislation, therefore, which is to take into account the limitation of mesh sizes, must take into account socio-economic problems, such a legislation may create in the case of gillnetting, but it is quite appropriate in trawling.

With the introduction of trawling of the lake, it will be necessary to revise the navigation chart of the lake to allow safe trawling. The present navigation chart is based on information gathered in 1928 and it has been observed that some of the dangerous rocks which are in certain fishing grounds are not marked on the chart. The navigation shows that lights also need to be installed on the shore.

5. Utilization, Distribution and Marketing

Most of the fish which is taken out of Lake Victoria is marketed in fresh form and for direct human consumption. It is only recently that an animal feed factory based in Jinja has started purchasing sun-dried Haplochromis spp. for the production of fish meal needed in the manufacture of animal feeds. The fish which is caught on the islands is hot smoked and when reasonable quantities have been accumulated it is shipped to the main land. This forms 18–25 percent (live weight) of the total catch from the lake. The fresh and processed fish find its market in the main trading centres and towns such as Kyotera, Kalisizo, Masaka on the western side of the lake; Mpigi, Entebbe, Kampala, Kawolo and Jinja on the northern side of the lake; Iganga, Burgiri, Tororo and Mbale on the eastern side, and thence into the villages. There are no fish processing plants handling fish from Lake Victoria although the ice plant which has been put up in Kampala with cold storage facilities and retail stalls may in future freeze fish from Lake Victoria for eventual marketing with Uganda and outside the country.

There are consumer preferences in different parts of the shore of Lake Victoria. Kanyike (1972) presented data showing different prices per ton of various species in different areas of the lake shore. The species are Sarotherodon spp., Bagrus docmac, Clarias spp. and Erotopterus aethiopicus. Annex 1 shows the prices of the species at that time. If the high prices of a species of fish is an indication of consumer preference, then it can be said that Bagrus docmac is the most preferred species around the lake shore only to be followed by Sarotherodon spp. Annex 2 shows the order of consumer preference derived from Kanyike's table (1972). The high price and the preference for this species seems to have been recognized by fishermen because from the 1970's catch statistics it appears that fishermen are setting their nets to catch Bagrus docmac. This is reflected in the increase in tonnage of this species from 1975 to 1979. This tonnage seems to have overtaken the popular fish Sarotherodon spp.

6. Fishery Data and Statistics

The UNDP/SF Lake Victoria Regional Fisheries Research Project revealed that the standing crop of Haplochromis spp. based on bottom trawl fishery was 750 000 t and 200 000 t of Haplochromis spp. can be taken out of the lake annually. This being the yield of that species alone. There is a need to compile the standing crop and the annual yields of various species in the lake. There is also a need to compile the standing crop and the annual yield of Haplochromis spp. based on mid-water trawl fishery. It is this data that will guide the management of the lake if overfishing of various species of fish is to be avoided. It will be necessary to carry out continuous stock assessment of various species. The population dynamics of various species will have to be studied as management data. The biology of various species will be an intergral part of management data of the fishery. In addition to the compilation of this data, there will be a need to compile various aspects of fishery data which will include the number of people involved in the fishing, number and type of gear per fishing boat, catch per unit of fishing effort, the cost and earning data, utilization of the catch and movement of fish to various markets so as to get a full picture of the role of the fishery of Lake Victoria in the whole national economy and how the harvesting of the fish should be maintained over the years at a required level.

7. Important Socio-Economic Issues

It is very well known that the fish is not yours until you have caught it. As stated earlier on, with the introduction of trawling on Lake Victoria there is likely to develop conflicts between the trawl fisherman and the artisanal fisherman. It has been recognized in various circles of fisheries authorities that the artisanal fisherman should continue to exploit the inshore fisheries and the trawl fisherman should exclusively exploit the distant waters of Lake Victoria. It is likely that trawlers will be owned by government corporations, cooperatives and private individuals. In all cases of trawler ownership, there will be a desire to fish for the highly priced conventional species which occur in the inshore waters where the artisanal fisherman is expected to fish; thus there are likely to be conflicts with regard to the resources which occur in the inshore parts of the lake. Furthermore, the steaming of trawlers from their base on land to the fishing grounds means going through inshore waters where gillnets may have been set by the artisanal fisherman, such nets may be cut across by propellers which may lead to loss of nets. Once a trawl fishing fleet is established on the lake such occurances will continue to exist unless there is a method of removing the nets from the lake at the time when trawl fishing is being carried out. Information that is at hand about trawl fishing, indicates that day trawling is most economical. If one takes into account the fact that the artisanal fisherman sets his nets overnight, one can probably suggest that the artisanal fisherman removes his nets from the water by 08.00 h everyday before the trawlers steam to their fishing grounds to avoid damage to nets, then the trawl fisherman can start fishing between 08.00 and 10.00 h and return by 16.00 h when the artisanal fisherman can go and set his nets overnight. This will prevent the destruction of gillnets when the trawlers are operating.

The role of women

In Uganda, actual fishing has traditionally been a man's job while the processing and marketing of fish has been shared between men and women. The role of women in the fishery of Lake Victoria therefore will continue to be the marketing side and processing as it has been on family level or on fish retailer basis.

Credit

The development of any industry needs credit. In Uganda there has been credit facilities in the past which have been operated by commercial banks for the benefit of the artisanal fisherman.

These facilities have been used by various fishermen in the country but due to the migratory nature of the artisanal fisherman in Uganda, commercial banks have lost colossal sums of money because it has been difficult to locate the fishermen who took out the loan once he has decided to default. This is because where an agreement in certain cases has been reached to conduct the loan on the basis of dual ownership, that is to say, where the fishing craft engine and gear are dually owned by both the bank and the fisherman. It appears therefore, that if credit is to be operated for the benefit of the artisanal fisherman it must be operated on the basis of tangible security. Dual ownership of a fishing unit can only be operated in the case of a big enough item which can be spotted anywhere. This will be appropriate in the case of a trawler. It will depend on the financing institutions to decide on the type of security required to provide credit facilities to establish trawl fishing on Lake Victoria.

8. Major Management Problems

The international nature of Lake Victoria brings up problems of management which have to be agreed upon by the countries involved. It will therefore be the duty of the CIFA Sub-Committee on the Development and Management of the Fisheries of Lake Victoria to highlight these problems from time to time as they crop up. An attempt is being made here to highlight only a few problems.

Stock assessment and population dynamics studies

The Lake Victoria fisheries stocks need continuous stock assessment evaluations especially when trawling reaches its maximum development on the lake by the three countries. It is therefore of utmost importance to implement the Phase 2 Lake Victoria Regional Fisheries Research Project where stock assessment studies will be carried out. Stock assessment for Haplochromis spp. based on mid-water trawling will be carried out. Purse seining will also be introduced to carry out stock assessment studies based on this method of fishing. The first phase of the Lake Victoria Regional Fisheries Research Project carried out stock assessment studies based on bottom trawling and on Haplochromis spp. alone. Stock assessment of other species in the lake needs to be carried out.

Population dynamics of major species in the lake need to be carried out in various areas of the lake. This is in view of the topographical characteristics of the lake. This lake has been found by Livingstone (1975) to have horizontal strandlines while other workers have said that it is a lake made up of many lakes.

Drafting of trawling regulations

Before the break up of the East African Community, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Commission had endeavoured to draft trawling regulations on Lake Victoria. A Sub-Committee had been set up to draft these regulations. Its work was not completed by the time the Community broke up, but it can be appreciated that there is an urgent need of following common regulations by trawlers from the three countries sharing the lake. This aspect therefore needs to be looked into by the CIFA Sub-Committee.

Harmonization of fisheries statistics collection

The three East African countries sharing Lake Victoria collect statistics according to their requirements. It will be necessary to harmonize the collection of statistics so that interpretation of the Lake Victoria fishery can be statistically carried out with meaning. This is in view of the fact that for quite a while sampling techniques in collection of fisheries statistics of Lake Victoria will have to be employed.

Increase in the recruitment of the rare species

It has been mentioned earlier on that there are species of fish which were once of great commercial importance but they have now almost disappeared from commercial catches in the Uganda waters of Lake Victoria. These include species like Labeo victorianus, Momyrus spp., Alestes jacksonii, Alestes sadleri, Schilbe mystus, and to some extent Barbus spp. Apparently most of these species are anadromous species. It has been indicated in this paper that between 1940 and 1949 the number of nets per boat was low in any particular area of the lake so that the fishing pressure of these anadromous species did not affect their populations very much. They could thus ascend the rivers, breed and the recruitment could then stand up to the fishing pressure. Examination of records of the Uganda Fisheries Department indicates that the number of nets per boat from the late 1960s onwards had increased. The fishing pressure on these species, therefore, had increased to the extent that it hit the breeding stocks before ascending the rivers to breed. It will be remembered and it was a common experience that in most cases fish such as Labeo victorianus used to have eggs when it was being served at the table in the past when it was being caught in reasonable quantities. It can be deduced, therefore, that most of these fish were being caught before they bred, thus lessening the rate of recruitment of this particular species. In the late 1970s a few of these species started to appear in greater quantities than previously known in the Ugandan part of the lake. This is because of the scarcity of fishing nets during those years which lowered the fishing pressure on these species. It will be therefore necessary for the CIFA Sub-Committee to consider the increase of recruitment of the above mentioned species because of their delicious nature to the people of Uganda.

Training of trawler crews

It will be appreciated that handling of trawlers demands trained personnel. The Uganda Fisheries Training Institute based at Entebbe trains handling of trawlers up to diploma level. It is necessary that such people are acquainted with the regulations, such as the rule of the road in the three countries. Again here, before the break up of the East African Community, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Commission had considered the importance to training of trawler crews and it set up a Sub-Committee to look into this problem. The Sub-Committee had hardly started its work when the Community broke up. The CIFA Sub-Committee therefore needs to look into this aspect of fisheries of Lake Victoria.

Revision of Lake Victoria navigation chart

It has been pointed out earlier on that the present Lake Victoria navigation chart was made in 1928. It has been the experience in Uganda that many rocks have been encountered in the lake and are not marked on the navigation chart. This therefore exposes trawlers to dangers of grounding. It is important that the CIFA Sub-Committee seriously consider seeking assistance from anywhere to revise the Lake Victoria navigation chart for the sake of safe navigation and fishing activities. It will also be necessary to re-install navigation lights on various shore points as may be required in modern navigation.

Culture of commercially important species

The production of lakes soon reach their maximum with increased exploitation, Uganda being a landlocked country, puts great importance on the productivity of her lakes. If the lakes reach their maximum sustainable yields in the future and the population continues to rise, the Government will have to seek means of providing protein-rich food to the growing population. It is the duty of CIFA Sub-Committee therefore to lock far ahead to see how the waters of Lake Victoria can be used to culture commercially important species and raise them to a marketable size, or culture the fingerlings to such a size at which they can fend for themselves and escape from their enemies and in this way increase the recruitment of these particular species. The technology of the farming on the edges of the sea could be used. The species that can be considered are Sarotherodon esculenta, Sarotherodon varia blis and Bagrus docmac. These would be in addition to the rare species referred to above.

Utilization of unexploited stocks

There exists in Lake Victoria aquatic resources which are underexploited or unexploited. The underexploited species include Haplochromis spp. and Engraulicypris argenteus. The utilization of Haplochromis spp. has already been worked out. The fish will be used in the manufacture of fish meal. Engraulicypris argenteus should be exploited and processed for direct human consumption. Experiments that have been carried out by the Uganda Fisheries Department show that light fishing can be one method of fishing to exploit this species. It can be seasoned and smoked for direct human consumption.

While trawling in the Uganda waters of Lake Victoria, it has been observed that there are bivalves and gastropods which come in the trawl nets. It is necessary therefore to carry out studies in the biology, stock assessment methods of fishing and processing of these bivalves and gastropods to see how they can be used as a source of animal protein. Likewise, the fresh water crabs can be treated in the same manner. Presently in Uganda the bivalves and the freshwater crabs are only used by fishermen as baits.

Harmonization of development

The magnitude of shore installation related to fisheries depends on the size of maximum economic yield of the fisheries resources. There is therefore a need to harmonize fisheries development in the three countries sharing Lake Victoria so that they are in unison with the available resource.

Water quality criteria studies

The three countries sharing Lake Victoria have embarked on their industrilization and urbanization programme. Many industries and urban areas may be near the shores of the lake, in which case effluents from industries and urban areas may find their way into the lake. Furthermore, clearing of land for agricultural enterprises and the use of fertilizers may lead to production of silt which may find its way into the lake and the fertilizers may cause unnecessary enrichment. It is therefore of importance that water quality criteria studies be initiated to be able to handle problems of pollution in the future.

References

Annual Report Game Department 1949 - Uganda Government (mimeographed)

Kanyike, E.S., 1972 The present day fishery of the Uganda waters of Lake Victoria Ministry of Animal Resources, Fisheries Department occasional papers 2–6 (mimeographed)

Livingstone, D.A., 1975 Late Quarternary Climatic change in Africa. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, Vol. 6:249–280

Annex 1

Average price of fish per ton of four selected species in selected areas of Lake Victoria 1970
(U.Sh./t)

Annex 2

Consumer preferences along the shore of Lake Victoria order of consumer preference

Annex 3

Uganda catches from Lake Victoria 1975–1979