THE Nile Perch and Tilapia fish species in Lake Victoria are getting depleted rapidly and as result, small fish are taking over the lake, an official has said.
“The average Nile Perch biomass has reduced from 1.2 million tonnes in 1999-2001 to 550,000 tonnes in 2005-2008,” said Levi Muhoozi, the national project coordinator of the Implementation of Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP).
“The quantities of small fish (mukene and nkejje) are increasing and contribute more than 1.5 million tonnes, about 75% of fish quantity in the lake.”
He attributed the situation to illegal fishing and proposed measures like controlled fishing to reverse the trend.
The Tilapia and Nile Perch are popular and people indiscriminately catch them, resulting into a decline in their numbers, Muhoozi observed.
He was on Friday speaking during a research review and planning workshop at the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute in Jinja.
Participants urged governments in the three East African member states to enact stringent laws to protect the lake.
“We appeal to governments to strengthen the existing laws, which spell out punishments for irresponsible fishing activities,” said a fish farmer.
“Strengthen the existing monitoring, control and surveillance organs like Beach Management Units and tackle the importation of illegal fishing gear.”
William Tibyasa, an official of the Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association, said the exportation of unprocessed fish should be stopped.
“This hurts the industry.”
The Government, said Dr. Wilson Mwanje, the head of aquaculture in the agriculture ministry, was ready to fund the development of rural aquaculture and support farmers in all ways.
