Increase in population causes decline of fish stock in L. Kyoga Lakes

Although authorities from the Uganda fisheries department have been complaining that fish stock reduction in the market is declining as a result of poor management of the lakes and rivers in the country, science researchers from the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) say this is a result of increased population resulting into increased demand for the product.

Mr Elias Muhumuza, a research technician at NaFIRRI, said due to increase in population around the Kyoga lakes which include Lakes Kyoga, Kwania and Bisina, the annual fish production in the year 2008 was estimated at 60,000 tonnes, valued at Shs7 billion compared to previous figures which were relatively higher.

He said part of the problem could as well be the use of gill nets that are below five inches giving room for Nile Perch fish of 13-35 cm to be caught by fishermen yet the normal size ready for consumption is 100 cm.
He said decline in fish stock on these lakes has not affected the Tilapia fish species so much but other species such as Nile Perch and Mukene which have high demand in the consumer market country wide are the most affected.

The Kyoga lakes are shared in nine districts namely, Apach, Nakasongola, Kayunga, Kamuli, Kumi, Soroti, Kaberamaido, Amolatar and Dokolo spanning the Central, Eastern and Northern region which has a population of close to 3 million people.
According to Mr Muhumuza, over the period 2008 to 2010, NaFIRRI carried out a number of socio economic studies on challenges of Kyoga lakes fisheries and discovered that the population in this region apart from depending on income from fish farming also carries out other activities such as livestock keeping as well as crop farming.

However due to the rapid increase in population in these regions, the team discovered that while the national level of poverty is 31.1% for the entire country, poverty estimates for Eastern and Northern region where most districts lie are at 35.9% to 60.7% and average fish catch from the Kyoga lakes has continued to fall in the recent years, now averaging about 60,000 tons per year or 16% of Uganda’s total fish catch.

This, according to Muhumuza, is affecting the economic growth of the country hence the need for the Beach Management Unit officers to strategise how fishermen can operate when catching their fish.

The study further revealed that the fisheries activity on the Kyoga lakes involved 48% of boat renting, 40% of boat crewing, 8% of fish trading and 2% of fish processing and the fish scarcity was rated at 39% making the fishermen to migrate from one landing site to another.

Information on the boats and gear boats owned revealed that most fishers owned the parachute type of boat and each costs Shs256, 000. The fishermen sell their catch to local traders at an average fee of Shs10,000 mostly targeting tilapia.

Fish marketing around Kyoga lakes is based largely on activities of small scale processors and traders who operate between landing sites, markets, urban centres and neighbouring countries like Congo and Southern Sudan.

Over 70% of the processors and traders are dealing in tilapia, Nile Perch and Mukene and most of them deal in smoked fish while others traded fresh and slated fish.

The information revealed that a kilogramme of tilapia fish is sold at Shs3, 123 while Nile Perch and Mukene are sold at Shs3, 202 and 5,052 respectively with an average weekly gross income of Shs3.7 million for those dealing in Nile perch while those selling Tilapia earned Shs2.3 million.

The limitations in marketing fish faced by processors and traders were mainly the low prices offered by the final consumers and the stringent fisheries regulations.
Other factors include scarcity of fish and poor demand due to low post harvest loses.

Further information revealed that traders often operated under threats and insecurity due to corruption and intimidation by tax collectors, health inspectors and fisheries officials as well as mean government policies on physical provisions for marketing including external markets.

The researchers have therefore recommended that in order to restore and improve the quality of life among fishing communities of Kyoga lakes, the central and local government officials should play their part in fisheries management.

There should be integrated planning by key actors to improve service provision and income sources should be improved to relief the pressure on fish stock through better extension and funding mechanisms.