Kelvin Nsangi
30 December 2005
Ben Kizito, 29 is a fisherman at Katosi landing site in Mukono district. His income solely depends on fishing. Born to a fisherman, Kizito took on fishing at the age of 20 on this particular landing site where the Ngege (Nile Tilapia) and Mputa (Nile Perch) species dominate the commercial fishery.
Kizito however worries about the scarcity of fish species on the lake. His father, Musoke (RIP) told him the lake used to have a number of species. "We no longer see fish like ningu and others and yet they were delicacies. Although they were not highly commercialised, these species contributed a lot to the variety of fish for consumption," he says.
Fishing on Lake Victoria has undergone changes overtime. The lake used to harbour more than 500 species but now, it is said to have only 300 species. There was evidence of use of unsustainable fishing practices that had altered the species composition of flora and fauna of the lake. The lake was initially dominated by two native tilapiine (ngege) species, Oreochromis esculentus and O. variabilis.
When gill nets were introduced as a fishing method in the lake between 1905 and 1929, the traditional fisher folk exploited the abundant tilapia stocks for an expanding market. When these reduced, fishermen resorted to using smaller mesh size gill nets so as to catch smaller unexploited sizes of fish. Among what was caught, the largest portion was of immature fish. In the 1960's, there had been an introduction of two exotic fish species, the Nile Perch (Lates niloticus), and Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).
These two were chosen as suitable introductions in the lake after realising that they had the capacity to grow bigger in size. By the 1970s, the tilapia fishery was dominated by Nile tilapia, which occupied all habitats previously containing native tilapiines. The lake's commercial fishery is now dominated by three fish species, that's the Nile Perch, Nile Tilapia and Dagga fish.
Difficulties
Disappearing fish species may not be a big problem but the water hyacinth (Eichhormia crassipes) poses a graver danger to the lake and fishing community. It posed a danger to the aquatic and human life around and within the lake. By 1996 and 1997, its infestation was estimated to be covering 15,000 ha of the total surface of the lake. It was obstructing fishing activities and blocking fish landing beaches, water transport, water drawing points, among other things.
"When the water hyacinth hit, our activities were affected. We would be forced to look for alternative landing areas. This would increase our costs," Kizito says. He testifies that the hyacinth harboured disease-causing and harmful animals. It sheltered snakes and was a breeding area for mosquitoes. Diseases like bilharzia were and are still rampant today because of the water hyacinth in the areas near the lake.
Developments
There is however new hope for the likes of Kizito and others in the lake basin with the establishment of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP).
According to LVEMP operations advisor, Mr John Wambede, the project was established after scientists realised that the lake was "dying".
The three partner states, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania initiated it in 1997 as a response to the increasing degradation of the lake and its catchment since the 1950's. Being a trans boundary, it was realised that there was need for regional cooperation and integration to save the lake ecosystem from further degradation.
AT STAKE: Fishing is one of the major economic activities threatened by the inconsistencies on the lake. Photo by Eddie Chicco
The three countries entered into a Tripartite Agreement on August 4, 1994. This agreement provided for a joint preparation and implementation of LVEMP activities in the three countries with close coordination. Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world. Its surface area sums up to 68,800km2.
Its water volume is 2,760km3 and the basin catchment area is 193,000 km2 and this includes parts of Burundi and Rwanda. Lake Victoria is very important and a strategic socio-economic development and growth zone of the three countries it covers.
The lake basin is rich and currently valued at $12.4b. The lake supports approximately 30 million people in the three countries. Over 70 percent of the population of the basin is engaged in agricultural activities including production of sugar, tea, coffee, maize, cotton, livestock and horticulture among others.
The lake is generally important for livelihood, economy, biodiversity, climate regulation, recreation and aesthetic values. The lake and its catchment provide food (fish), hydropower, transport, and tourism, water for domestic and industrial use and wastewater disposal.
Lake Victoria among other threats has had its water quality deteriorating because of the discharge of untreated sewage effluents. The increased inflow of nutrients into the lake has also caused eutrophication. "We fishermen know less about water quality.
Researchers have been here and told us that poor water is not good for fish and water that is too good is bad for fish. All I know is that water that is contaminated with pollutants is not good for fish," says Kizito.
Land degradation remains a problem because of unsustainable agricultural practices within the lake catchment area. The wetlands' buffering capacity faces danger because of unsustainable utilisation through agricultural and livestock keeping activities.
On March 5, 1997, LVEMP was declared effective and became a comprehensive programme conducted in the East African countries aiming at the rehabilitation of the lake ecosystem. This would benefit the people who live in the catchment, their national economies and the global community. It was supposed to come to an end on June 30, 2002 but the countries negotiated with the World Bank for a two-year extension, which will be concluded on December 31, 2005.
Among the LVEMP objectives was the aim to maximise sustainable benefits to the riparian countries from using resources within the basin.
These would generate food, employment and income, supply safe water, and sustain a disease free environment.
The other objective was to conserve biodiversity and genetic resources for the benefit of the riparian and global community. The project set out to harmonise national and regional management programmes in order to achieve to the maximum extent possible, a reversal in environmental degradation. It also intended to promote regional cooperation among the East African countries. Funding of the project has been through the World Bank from the International Development Association (IDA) and Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
It was worth $79.6m and was divided equally between the three countries. LVEMP's objectives were implemented. The countries set up a regional secretariat that coordinates the national secretariats in each country.
Operations
When implementing LVEMP activities, they were divided into two, that is, lake wide and pilot. The former were intended to supply and improve information on the lake as well as build capacity for effective management of the lake basin resources.
The pilot activities on the other hand, were to address specific environmental threats in an integrated manner. In Uganda, the project components have been internalised into respective ministries and institutions through raising awareness and creation of partnership with local communities. These institutions have been strengthened to sustain solutions in the long term. The forestry department implements catchment afforestation.
Without forests, we cannot have rain and thus the lake does not receive more water. The department is targeting production of seedling and tree planting as well as the conservation of natural forest reserves with the involvement of local communities.
Kawanda Research Institute conducts land use management with community participation. Soil and water conservation, and appropriate use of agro-chemicals are emphasised. The Wetlands Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), among others do the management of wetlands. Communities are involved in sustaining usage of the existing wetlands so as to conserve the buffering capacity of those fringing the lake.
Uganda has beaten all the East African countries in managing wetlands, a regional report on wetland management revealed. According to the report, "There has been spatial distribution of wetlands and the analysis of the extent of shrinkage over time has not been completed in all three countries. Uganda has done more than other countries. Inventory of wetlands (state and extent), has not been completed in Kenya."
Industrial and municipal waste management is under the National Water and Sewerage Corporation which emphasises the rehabilitation of the existing waste treatment facilities, demonstrating the use of artificial or natural wetlands in waste treatment and installation and use of waste treatment plants by all stakeholders within the basin.
A regional report reveals that getting rid of the water hyacinth on Lake Victoria had been 90 percent successful in the riparian countries. This has been an effort of the Water Hyacinth unit in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and fisheries. The water quality monitoring has been implemented by the Water Resources Department.
The department continues to measure the level of eutrophication, sedimentation and pattern of inflow and dispersal in the lake. It is also using the available environmental data to produce a predictive model for water quality management.
The Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) in Jinja is behind generating information through research on fish biology and ecology, their stock sizes, qualitative and quantitative information on aquatic biodiversity, the socio-economic characteristics of the fishery stakeholders and the restoration of scarce or depleted species, and establishment of a strong fishery database.
Fisheries management by the Fisheries Department has paved way for the establishment of sustainable co-management of the fisheries through the involvement of the stakeholders in extension services, law enforcement and data collection. It has also financed community demand driven micro-projects to enhance the welfare of the community, and establishment of a fish levy trust to ensure sustainability of funds to sponsor the various activities that are being initiated.
The project is involved in the establishment of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation so as to provide a permanent secretariat for fisheries research and management of the three East African countries. The National Fisheries Policy (2004) provides a conducive policy framework for the community participation in Uganda.
Stakeholders at all levels have been equipped with the necessary skills, information, technical and financial resources, and a proper institutional and legal framework to successfully exercise the various initiatives within the Lake Victoria ecosystem as a whole.
LVEMP is pursuing poverty alleviation through its emphasis on restoration of stability to the lake fishery. It has had positive impact on at least 500,000 people whose livelihood depends directly on the fisheries.
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