Aquatic ecology monitoring: water quality, fish, fish catch, sanitation and disease vectors: monitoring no. 10 and reservoir baseline, 23rd – 30th April 2012

The results reported on were from a monitoring survey No. 10 undertaken between 23 rd and 29th April 2012 during construction period of the Bujagali Hydropower Project (BHPP). Two pre-construction, baseline surveys in April 2000 and April 2006 were conducted and so far, during construction phase of the project, nine monitoring surveys have been undertaken i.e. in September 2007, April 2008, April 2009, October 2009, April 2010, September 2010, April 2011, September 2011and the present one, in April 2012. Since 2009 biannual monitoring surveys have been conducted at an upstream and a downstream transect of the BHPP with emphasis on the following aspects: water quality determinants biology and ecology of fishes and food webs fish stock and fish catch including economic aspects of catch and sanitation/vector studies (bilharzias and river blindness) During this survey, baseline assessment of the above mentioned studies was conducted in the reservoir behind the dam, including studies on algae, zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates which had been restrained since April 2008. The findings of baseline assessment of the reservoir are also contained in this report and are compared with those obtained from Transect 1(Upstream) and Transect 2 (Downstream).

Biology, ecology and the fishery of Mukene, Rastrineobola argentea

Food and feeding, condition factor, breeding periods, growth and size at first maturity of a small pelagic cyprinid Rastrineobola argentea (P.) in Lake Victoria are determined. Fishing gears and methods that have been used in the exploitation of the species and could be harmful to the fishery are outlined. Management measures leading to possible sustainable exploitation of the fishery are suggested. Adult R. argentea feed on zooplankton during daytime. Juveniles feed on planktonic early instars of lakefly larvae. Although the species breeds throughout the year, two breeding peaks were observed during the drier months of August and December January. Least breeding was observed in the rainy months of April-May and October November. Fishes from the open water station at Bugaia showed higher numbers of breeding individuals than those from inshore areas. The mean monthly condition factor of fish from Napoleon Gulf confirmed breeding peaks as obtained from the number of fish with ripe gonads. The species showed a mean instantaneous growth rate (K) of 1.75 and attains length infinity (Lx) of 54mm. Females of the species in these waters show a reduced size at maturity as compared to ten years ago when exploitation of the species was at minimal levels. The males have however not changed much.

The biology, ecology and the fishery of Mukene, Rastrineobola argentea in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo

Rastrineobola argentea, local name.s Mukene (Uganda) Omena (Kenya) and Dagaa (Tanzania) occurs in lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo (Greenwood 1966). Until the decline of the native fishes especially the haplochromines, R. argentea was of little economic importance to the fisheries of these lakes. The stocks of this species have now increased and commercial catches on Lake Victoria account for over 30%. Fishing for R. argentea is currently still restricted to inshore areas and within the fringing islands of Lake Victoria. This fishery is not yet established on Lakes Kyoga and Nabugabo although the species is quite abundant in these lakes (Proude 1963). On moonless nights, kerosene pressure lamps are exposed on the lake to attract the fishes. These fishes are then fished out using fine meshed seine, lampara or lift nets

The biology, ecology, distribution and conservation of some surviving native non-cichlid fish species of Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo

Prior to introduction of non-native fish species into Lakes Victor i a, Kyoga and Nabugabo, the three lakes suppor ted diverse fish fauna representing 13 families consisting of six cichlid genera and fifteen non-cichlid genera. There were about 50 non-cichlid species and over 300 cichlids consisting of mainly haplochromines (Graham 1929, worthington 1929, Greenwood 1960). Many of the species were commercially and scientifically important and provided a rich variety of protein source to choose from. Following introduction of the Nile perch and several tilapiines species, most of the native species were drastically reduced and some have apparently disappeared. The few remaining species appear to be restricted in distribution due to the presence of the Nile perch. They are mainly confined to refugia such as marginal macrophytes, rocky outcrops and small satellite lakes which are separated from the areas of introduction by swamps

The biology and ecology of native non-cichlids in the Victoria and Kyoga lake basins

An overview of the biology and ecology of some of the constantly less important commercial species is given below. These included Bagrus docmac, Clarias gariepinus, Protopterus aethiopicus, Labeo victorianus, Barbus spp, Mormyrids, Synodontis spp, and Schilbe intermedius. The stocks of most of these species declined due to over-exploitation and introduction of non-native fishes especially Nile perch. A few of these taxa still survive in the main lake and others in satellite lakes. The current status of these species in the Victoria lake basin is not known but the available information provided some information on some habitat and other requirements of some of these originally important species of the Victoria lake basin.

The role of Yssichromis species (Pisces: Cichlidae) in the trophic ecology and foodwebs of Lake Victoria

Many haplochromine cichlids coexisted in Lake Victoria before the upsurge of Nile perch. The introduction of the Nile perch led to depletion of many haplochromines and other fish species in Lake Victoria. The impact of Nile perch predation on haplochromines differed for different haplochromine trophic groups. Yssichromis fusiformis (G) and Yssichromis laparogramma (G) are among the species that have survived in the lake. Yssichromis spp. was studied with the aim of determining their trophic role, food and feeding habits. Samples were collected from Bugaia, Buvuma channel and Napoleon Gulf in the northern part of Lake Victoria. The food of Yssichromis spp. varied with size of fish. Both Y fusiformis and Y laparogramma fed on Copepods, Cladocerans, Chaoborus and Chironomids. Juvenile Yssichromis spp. fed exclusively on zooplankton comprising Cyclopoid copepods, Calanoid copepods and Cladocera. The relative importance of Chironomid larvae and Calanoid copepods was higher in Bugaia than in Buvuma channel while Cyclopoid copepods and Chironomid pupae were relatively less important in Bugaia. The main food items that Yssichromis spp. fed on in Buvuma channel were Chironomid larvae Cyclopoid copepods, Cladocerans and Calanoid copepods. In Napoleon Gulf, fish caught from commercial fishery of Rastrineobola argentea (P) had fed on Chaoborus and Chironomids. Overall, Yssichromis spp. fed on more zooplankton in Buvuma than in Bugaia. Yssichromis spp. and R. argentea are presently the most abundant zooplanktivores in the northern part of Lake Victoria and are playing an important trophic role as major consumers of zooplankton and insect larvae in the foodweb of the lake ecosystem. Yssichromis spp. are bridging the transfer of energy from the lower to the higher trophic levels as secondary consumers. The fishery is still not contributing to the direct conversion of the primary products, the phytoplankton and detritus that were efficiently utilised by the diverse haplochromine trophic groups that existed before the Nile perch boom.

The biology, ecology, population parameters and the fishery of the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L)

Oreochromis niloticus (the Nile tilapia) and three other ti1apine species: Oreochromis leucostictus, Tilapia zi11ii and T. rendallii were introduced into Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo in 1950s and 1960s. The source and foci of the stockings are given by Welcomme (1966) but the origin of the stocked species was Lake Albert. The Nile tilapia was introduced as a management measure to relieve fishing pressure on the endemic tiapiines and, since it grows to a bigger size, to encourage a return to the use of larger mesh gill nets. Ti1apia zillii was introduced to fill a vacant ,niche of macrophytes which could not be utilised' by the other tilapiines. Tilapia rendallii, and possibly T. leucosticutus could been introduced into these lakes accidently as a consquence of one of the species being tried out for aquaculture. The Nile perch and Nile tilapia have since fully established themselves and presently dominate the commercial fisheries of Lakes Victoria and Kyoga. The original fisheries based on the endemic tilapiines O. escu1entus and o. variabilis have collapsed. It is hypothesized that the ecological and limnological changes that are observed in Lakes Victoria and Kyoga are due to a truncation of the original food webs of the two lakes. Under the changed conditions, O. niloticus to be either playing a stabilizing role or fuelling nutrient turnover in the lakes. Other testable hypotheses point to the possible role of predation by the Nile perch, change in regional climate and hydrology in the lake basins.

The biology and ecology of the Nile perch, Lates niloticus, and the future of its fishery in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo

Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo had a similar native fish fauna of high species diversity. stocks of most of the native species declined rapidly and some completely disappeared after Nile perch was introduced and became well established. Although, overexploitation of the fish stocks, competition between introduced and native tilapiines and environmental degradation contributed to the reduction in fish stocks, predation by the Nile perch has contributed much to the recent drastic reductions in fish stock and could even drive the stocks to a total collapse. Nile perch is also currently the most important commercial species in Lakes victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo and the stability of its stocks is important in the overall sustainability of the fisheries of these lakes. The question that was to be examined in this paper was whether the fisheries of Lakes Victoria, Kyogaand Nabugabo would stabilize and sustain production in the presence of high predation pressure by the Nile perch or whether the Nile perch would drive the fish stocks including itself to a collapse. I t was assumed that Nile perch driven changes in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo would be driven to a level beyond which they would not change further. This would be followed by recovery and stability or the changes would continue to a point of collapse. It was assumed that Lake Albert represented the ideal stable state. The changes in the new habitats expected to be driven through a major change due to Nile perch predation to a stage where there would be no further changes. After this, a feedback mechanism would move the driven variable towards recovery. The variables would then stabilize and oscillate will an amplitude which approximates to what would be recorded in Lake Albert. Alternatively, the changes would proceed to a stage where the fishery would collapse. The specific hypothesis was that fish species composition and diversity, prey selection by the Nile perch and life history characteristics of the Nile perch in the new habitats would change and stabilize

The biology, ecology, distribution and conservation of surviving haplochromine cichlids in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo

Haplochrmine cichlids were the most abundant taxa in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo prior to introduction of the Nile perch. As stocks of the introduced predator increased, these taxa were depleted to such an extent that they are now virtually absent from the lake. The haplochromine cichlids played an important role in the ecology of Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo. They occupied virtually all trophic levels in the lake and facilitated an efficient flow of energy through the ecosystem. Their depletion seem to have left much organic matter whose decomposition has contributed to accumulation of dead organic matter which may be contributing to prolonged anoxia in Lake Victoria. The haplochromines formed an important small-scale fishery. Fishermen formerly subsisting on this fishery have been driven out of business because they cannot afford the expensive nets required for Nile perch fishery. In addition to providing a cheap source of fish protein to humans, the species were an important source of Scientific material for students of genetics antd adaptive radiation.

Aquatic ecology monitoring, water quality, fish, fish catch, sanitation and disease vectors: monitoring no. 11, 4th – 9th September 2012

This monitoring survey No. 11 undertaken between 4th and 9th September 2012 is the second one to be conducted after completion of construction of Bujagali Hydropower Dam. Two pre-construction baseline surveys in April 2000 and April 2006 were conducted and during construction phase, eight monitoring surveys (September 2007, April 2008, April 2009, October 2009, April 2010, September 2010, April 2011, September 2011) were conducted.

Fishes and fisheries of Uganda: their biology, ecology, expoiltation and management

This chapter brings together some information on the fishes and fisheries of Uganda. It starts with an overview of the biology and ecology of the fishes highlighting those aspects that are important in providing an understanding that can be used to manage the fishes. This is followed by a discussion of the fisheries of the major lakes including the management challenges that have and are facing these lakes.

Fish species diversity, and the biology and ecology of common fish species in Lake Albert

Lake Albert contributes about 10% to the national fish production. It supports a multi-species fishery based on endemic species. To local fishermen, Lake Albert is a lifeline providing food and income.

Aquatic ecology monitoring: water quality, fish, fish catch, sanitation and disease vectors: monitoring No.7, 4-7th September 2010

The results reported on were from a monitoring survey No.7 undertaken between 4 th and 7th September 2010 during construction period of the Bujagali Hydropower Project (BHPP). Two pre-construction, baseline surveys in April 2000 and April 2006 were conducted and so far, during construction phase of the project, six monitoring surveys have been undertaken i.e. in September 2007, April 2008, April 2009, October 2009, April 2010 and the present one, in September 2010. Since 2009 biannual monitoring surveys have been conducted at an upstream and a downstream transect of the BHPP with emphasis on the following aspects: I. water quality determinants 2. biology and ecology of fishes and food webs 3. fish stock and fish catch including economic aspects of catch and 4. sanitation/vector studies (bilharzias and river blindness)

Aquatic ecology monitoring: water quality, fish, fish catch, sanitation and disease vectors: monitoring no.12, 25th-30th April 2013

Bujagali hydropower dam construction is now completed and a reservoir behind the dam has been created, extending all the way up to Kalange-Makwanzi, an upstream transects. During the 10th monitoring survey-April 2012, a third transect was established in the mid of the reservoir where it runs up to 30 m deep and sampled similarly as at the two original sampling transects, Kalange-Makwanzi and Buyala-Kikubamutwe for comparative purposes. This monitoring survey No. 12 undertaken between 25th and 30th April 2013 is the third one to be conducted after completion of construction of Bujagali Hydropower Dam. Two pre-construction baseline surveys in April 2000 and April 2006 were conducted and during construction phase, eight monitoring surveys (September 2007, April 2008, April 2009, October 2009, April 2010, September 2010, April 2011, September 2011) were conducted. Since 2009 biannual monitoring surveys have been conducted at an upstream and a downstream transect of the BHPP with emphasis on the following aspects: water quality determinants, biology and ecology of fishes and food webs, fish stock and fish catch including economic aspects of catch and sanitation/vector studies (bilharzias and river blindness). In the post-construction monitoring surveys, the assessments of algae, zooplankton and benthic macro-invertebrates which had been restrained since April 2008 were also included.

Aquatic ecology monitoring: water quality, fish, fish catch and parasites: monitoring no.4, 3rd-7th April 2009

The survey covered by this report was undertaken between 3rd and 7th April 2009 as a follow-up on the during construction surveys. Two pre-construction baseline surveys were undertaken in April 2000 and April 2006. During the construction phase which started in 2007, three surveys including the current one have been undertaken i.e. in September 2007, April 2008 and the present one, in April 2009. Unlike in all previous surveys in which monitoring was conducted at one transect upstream and three downstream transects, in the current survey, two transects, one upstream and the other,downstream of the BHPP were sampled with emphasis on the following aspects: 1. water quality determinants 2. biology and ecology of fishes and food webs 3. fish stock and fish catch including economic aspects of catch and 4. sanitation/vector studies (bilharzias and river blindness)