Uganda: drop in fish numbers in Lake Victoria worries fishermen
Audio 02:09
Illegal fishing and pollution are two of the factors behind the decline in fish numbers in Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, and the second largest in the world.
© RFI / Lucie Mouillaud
By: Lucie Mouillaud Follow
5 mins
In 2018, Kenyan researcher Anyang 'Nyong'o issued a warning message.
In 50 years, if pollution is not controlled, Lake Victoria could be emptied of its biodiversity.
In the district of Ggaba, on the outskirts of the capital Kampala, the inhabitants are already struggling to live solely on fishing.
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From our correspondent in Kampala,
Standing on his boat, Mohamed Tambura slowly pulls his fishing net out of the water.
If a few algae are stuck between the strings, no fish come to the surface.
“
We left the net all night, and this morning when we came back, no fish, nothing.
There are fewer and fewer fish in the lake, it's harder and harder to fish enough to get by,
”he laments.
The drop in the number of fish in Lake Victoria
, Mohamed has observed for several years now.
Living solely from fishing has become almost impossible for him, so he must find other activities to get by.
"
When fishing becomes really difficult, at home, we cultivate our land, we sell chickens, cattle, to be able to earn enough money and feed our family
", adds Mohamed.
More and more pollution that pushes fishermen to move away
In the market in the district of Ggaba, on the shores of Lake Victoria, many fishermen look shabby.
The catches are becoming increasingly rare for Tom Washega, who has worked here for nearly 30 years.
He regrets seeing more and more cans, bags, bottles floating all over the lake, and in which many fish die, trapped.
“
When we take the nets out of the water, which are very heavy, we think we have caught a lot of fish.
But we quickly realize that the net is full of bottles and plastic bags.
Either way, when there is too much pollution, the fish don't stay.
They go to areas where there is the most oxygen in the water,
”he says.
Tom now has to move further and further from Kampala to fish, for lack of fish on the outskirts of the city.
A phenomenon that Peter Soreja, a fisherman too, also observes, but that he does not simply attribute to pollution.
“
When you see the illegal fishing nets, they catch all the fish, even the smallest, the youngest.
Whereas I, with the right net, have nothing!
And in the lake, we see a lot of boats using these forbidden nets
, ”says Tom.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature warns about the situation of Lake Victoria: 76% of fish species are according to the organization in danger of extinction, in particular because of illegal fishing and pollution.
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Uganda
Agriculture and Fishing
Pollution