Levi Muhoozi, the national project coordinator of the Implementation of Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP), informed that the average Nile Perch biomass has reduced from 1.2 million tonnes in 1999-2001 to 550,000 tonnes in 2005-2008. According to him 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 also said that the situation to illegal fishing and proposed measures like controlled fishing to reverse the trend. Storng measures should be taken to stop such depletion of these fish. The Tilapia and Nile Perch are popular and people indiscriminately catch them, resulting into a decline in their numbers, opined Muhoozi.
Muhoozi was speaking during a research review and planning workshop at the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute in Jinja. In that workshops the participants urged governments in the three East African member states to enact stringent laws to protect the lake. A fish farmer said that they appeal to governments to strengthen the existing laws, which spell out punishments for irresponsible fishing activities.
William Tibyasa, an official of the Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association, said the exportation of unprocessed fish should be stopped. He told that urgent measure should be taken to strengthen the existing monitoring, control and surveillance organs like Beach Management Units and tackle the importation of illegal fishing gear. Dr. Wilson Mwanje, the head of aquaculture in the agriculture ministry, told that the government was ready to fund the development of rural aquaculture and support farmers in all ways.
