Daniel Otieno
24 July 2007
Nairobi — A cloud of uncertainty hangs over Lake Victoria following reports that fish stocks are fast declining.
A government report indicates that it is no longer a guarantee that fishermen in their nocturnal toil will have caught anything come morning.
Nile Perch stocks, in particular, have plummeted.
Previously, the sunset falling gently over hills in the horizon used to signify bumper fish catches realised at night. But it now symbolises a dawn of bleak prospects for fishermen.
"We cast our nets in the evenings, wait patiently by the night, only to sail back to the beaches early in the morning crushed by the light weight of the nets, marking another empty expedition," explains Mr Dominic Orieyo, who has been fishing in the lake for over 20 years.
Fishermen's tribulations have pushed up fish prices so much that the saying, you are never in Kisumu until you eat fish, is fast becoming a myth.
Around the fish firms operating on the lake side, women used to be a common sight, gathering the fish frames, locally referred to as mgongo wazi, which they fried and sold at a cheaper price.
They were the only option for domestic Nile perch lovers, who had been sidelined by the ever-rising lucrative foreign market.
Margaret Auma has been trading on mgongo wazi for the last six years. She says she has witnessed gradual decline of the commodity over the years.
"Initially we used to hang around the factories, where we got the mgongo wazi free of charge. Then the factory owners realised that they could make a little income by charging a fee.
"Then animal feeds manufacturers appeared on the scene. Now we have to plead for the remains. Their prices are pushing us out of the trade," says Ms Auma.
Dr Richard Abila, the deputy director of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, argues that the benefits of the East African lake are being enjoyed overseas. The researcher says that although fish is one of the richest sources of protein, the deficiency of the food nutrients in the area was appalling.
From the initial fears that communities living near the lake were being locked out of the fish trade, and the vital protein nutrients, researchers now warn that the reckless fishing may soon wipe out the Nile perch.
More worrying is the increasing number cartels, which control the fishing industry.
The cartels control the fishermen, the boats, transportation, product distribution and export marketing. Some of the factories control other factories operating at the same levels. Their influence has now crossed to Uganda and Tanzania, where they have similar arrangements.
"It has now emerged that the negative impacts of the expanded trade by far outweigh the benefits," says Dr Abila, who is in charge of inland waters.
Initially, the cartels provided outboard engines, nets and other fishing gear to fishermen under an agreement that the fishermen will supply fish to offset the credit.
This has not been a popular arrangement as fishermen are bound to cheat regarding their catches.
They have resorted to supplying the boats and the nets and the fishermen come in only as labourers, under strict supervision. The fishermen often oblige because of the prohibitive costs of the fishing gear used to catch Nile perch.
As the fishermen row the boats and pull the nets in the deep waters, the "supervisors" patrol on motorised, refrigerated and fast-moving boats to collect whatever the fishermen have netted.
Dr Abila explains that Nile perch is highly perishable and that the fishermen know this only too well. He adds that poor infrastructure along most landing sites does not allow for faster transportation of the catches to refrigerators elsewhere. As a result, the traders with refrigerated lorries determine the prices.
Lasting solution
Residents and fisheries stakeholders in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are united in their pursuit for a lasting solution to their woes.
Statistics from the three countries have shown ever decreasing catches, especially those of the highly nutritious and commercially lucrative Nile perch and tilapia.
The Government report released last week shows that whereas there was an increase in the amount of fish produced, there was great decline of Nile perch and tilapia and a rise in volumes of less value species.
Regional statistics also show the gloom, with the member countries fearing that they are increasingly losing out in the face of rising demand and competition for the fresh water fish market.
The dagaa, locally known as omena, accounted for 58 per cent of the total volume of fish landed last year, yet it fetched only Sh1.7 billion out of the total Sh6.5 billion realised from the total sales.
But as the volume of the omena increases, the fishermen have to observe an annual four month ban, during which the fishing, transportation and selling of the small species becomes a perilous affair, as fisheries officers enforce the ban.
Tales of running battles with government officials, which sometimes cause fishing boats to capsize, and heighten cases of bribery, are some of the issues which dog the season from April to September.
Kenyan, Ugandan and Tanzania officials are now faced with the dilemma of what they say could spell doom to the households, industries and economies that have depended on fisheries resources for years.
The Ugandan commissioner for fisheries, Mr Dick Nyeko, attributes the falling stocks to increasing pressure, partly blamed on the use of illegal fishing gears and methods.
The current fish crisis comes hot on the heels of the water hyacinth, algae and siltation, which have pushed the regional governments to harmonise laws for effective management of the lake.
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