The contribution and status of physical removal in sustainable management of water hyacinth

Physical control of water hyacinth consists of removing the plants from the water by hand or machines. It is considered over effetive because it involves removing the whole plants from water. The first attempt on physical control was in 1992 when weed infestation was causing serious problems to the fishing communities in Lake Kyoga. The fishermen had problems of accessing the lake as huge masses of mobile weed blocked landing sites. Furthermore, the fishers lost their nets, which were swept away by mobile water hyacinth. As a result, an integrated control strategy involving physical control (manual and mechanical removal) was put in place. Through this method, the fishers were able to open up access routes to fishing grounds even though weed mats often reblocked the access routes. In the infested lakes, manual removal offered remedial relief to fish Iandings and other access sites. Sites of strategic importance such as hydro-electric power generation dam, water intake points and docking points which had large masses of water hyacinth required heavy machinery and mechanical harvesters were used at these sites.

The impact of gillnet mesh sizes on Oreochromis niloticus: a proposed management strategy

Gillnets are popularly used in commercial fishing on both Lake kioga and lake Victoria. On Lake kioga the legal mesh size is from 4½ (114) upwards while on Lake Victoria, a multifishery lake, various mesh sizes are in operation. However, the fishermen on these lakes still use the smaller meshes to be able to harvest certain categories of fish especially Oreochromis species group whose catch rates are already on the decline due to either use of small mesh size nets, high fishing pressure and to L.Kioga in particular, predation by lates niloticus.

Fisheries Department Annual Report 1969

During the year 1969, the fishing industry maintained a rate of increase that had been witnessed in the three previous years. The total catch landed was estimated at 125300 metric tons, valued at shs 130,500,000/-at the lakeside,and about shs 260,000,000/-in the retail market. This was an increase of 16,900 metric tons over the 1968 figure. The largest increases again came from the Lake Kyoga area, where the Nile Perch and the introduced Tilapia species are still expanding. Large numbers of fishermen from other regions (i.e. from Lake Victoria) moved to Lake Kyoga where catches were high and remunerative. This intensified fishing on this lake, resulting in the high figure of catches recorded. As in the previous year, there was a marked increase in the use of large-mesh gill-nets for catching Nile Perch and Tilapia. Individual Tilapia nilotica of up to 5 kg were quite common, and Nile Perch weighing over 50 kg were also regularly taken. The marketing and distribution side of the industry was as active as ever: 87 people took out specific licences, and 640 fishmongers were licensed by different urban authorities. Elsewhere in the Districts, 7,950 fishmongers were licensed. Host of the fish landed was consumed within Uganda and exports accounted for dnly a very small fraction of the market, mainly composed of frozen fiilets to Kenyai and salted fish to the Republic of the Congo. Kampala market was the most important one, serving also as a central market from where fishmongers bought fish for distribution to rural areas.

Annual Report of the Game Department for the year ended 31st December 1938

The annual report presents information on the following under fisheries section Breaches of Game Laws (Fish Sections) Development and Control of the Lake Victoria Fishing Industry. Collection of Statistics Statistical Tables.- (A) Number of half-yearly licences issued (B) Quantities and value of nets imported (C) Dried fish handled by Railways and Steamers (D) Smoked and salted fish exported to the Belgian Congo Mpondwe Customs Post Lake Bunyonyi Lake Mugisha (or Kaiyumbu) Lake Chahafi Lake Mulehe Lake Mutanda Lake Saka Lake Nabugabo Lake Kachira and Lake Kijanebalola Lake Kyoga Commercial Development:- Lake Edward and associated fisheries Uganda Fisheries Limited Nsonzi Fishery, Kigezi Experimental Nets in Lake Victoria Legislation (B) angling a) Trout (b) Nile pereh or mpufa

Annual Report of the Game Department for the year ended 31st December, 1947

) General (2) Legislation (3) Nets (4) Imports and Exports of Dried Fish (B) Economic:- (I) Lake Victoria (2) Lake Albert (including the Albert Nile (3) Lake Edward and Associated Fisheries (4) Lake Kyoga (5) Minor Lakes, Dams and the Victoria Nile (6) Introductions (7) Fish Transfers (8) Crocodiles:- (C) Angling Trout Nile Perch Barbel Tilapia Variabilis

Status of the beach management units development in Uganda

Fisheries plays a significant and important part in the economy of the country contributing to foreign exchange, food security and employment creation. Lake Victoria contributes over 50% of the total annual fish catch. The purpose of fisheries management is to ensure conservation, protection, proper use, economic efficiency and equitable distribution of the fisheries resources both for the present and future generations through sustainable utilization. The earliest fisheries were mainly at the subsistence level. Fishing gear consisted of locally made basket traps, hooks and seine nets of papyrus. Fishing effort begun to increase with the introduction of more efficient flax gillnets in 1905. Fisheries management in Uganda started in 1914. Before then, the fishery was under some form of traditional management based on the do and don'ts. History shows that the Baganda had strong spiritual beliefs in respect of "god Mukasa" (god of the Lake) and these indirectly contributed to sustainable management of the lake. If a fisherman neglected to comply witt'l any of the ceremonies related to fishing he was expected to encounter a bad omen (Rev. Roscoe, 1965) However, with the introduction of the nylon gill nets, which could catch more fish, traditional management regime broke down. By 1955 the indigenous fish species like Oreochromis variabilis and Oreochromis esculentus had greatly declined in catches. Decline in catches led to introduction of poor fishing methods because of competition for fish. Government in an attempt to regulate the fishing irldustry enacted the first Fisheries Ordinance in 1951 and recruited Fisheries Officers to enforce them. The government put in place minimum net mesh-sizes and Fisheries Officers arrested fishermen without explaining the reason. This led to continued poor fishing practices. The development of government centred management systems led to increased alienation of resource users and to wilful disregard of specific regulations. The realisation of the problems faced by the central management system led to the recognition that user groups need to be actively involved in fisheries management if the systems are to be consistent with sustainable fisheries and be legitimate. Community participation in fisheries management under the Comanagement approach has been adopted in Lake Victoria including other water bodies.

Annual Report of the Game Department for the year ended 31st December, 1948

Fisheries section of the annual report covers the following A. ADMINISTRATION (1) General, (2) Legislation, (3) Nets (4) Imports and Exports of Dried Fish, (B) ECONOMIC :( 1) Lake Victoria, (2) Lake Albert (including the Albert Nile), (3) Lake Edward and Associated Fisheries, (4) Report by Fish Culturist, (5) Lake Kyoga, (6) Minor Lakes and the Victoria Nile, (7) Dams,(8) Introductions,(9) Fish Transfers (10) Crocodiles:(i) Control,(ii) Industry, (iii) General (ll) General Notes, (C) ANGLING:Trout, Nile Perch Barbei, Tilapia variabilis.

The present status of the fishery for tilapia in Lake Victoria (Uganda)

The commercial fisheries of Lake Victoria are presently dominated by three species: the stocked Lates niloticus and Oreochromis niloticus, and the endemic cyprinid Rastrineobola argentea. The three comprise at least 90% of the commercial catch while the rest of the endemic species mostly occur as by-catch (incidental catch) except in localised areas. Apart from being a major source of food, the three species especially the Nile perch represent the usually recognized main forms of predation, As they exert a "top-down" effect on production, they are important in the trophic dynamics of the Lake Victoria ecosystem. However, another form of predation which is usually unrecognized in the lake productivity mechanisms is one due to fishing mortality. Fishermen essentially behave as predatory elements in the ecosystem. This is manifested in ways that paral1el the effect of fish as predators e.g. some fishermen are habitat restricted and specialised in catching particular species or sizes, others are opportunistic and switch to whatever species (prey) are available which may depend on season, etc. There are also indirect factors that influence fishing mortality as a form of predation e.g. availability on the market of different gears, thefts of nets and of fish from nets, civil strife, market demand etc. The fatter are essentially socioeconomic factors. Application of the principles of fisheries management requires "a data base from which effective options can be generated. It is considered that one of the fundamental requirements for such a data base is information on the spatial distribution of the species fishery. This can be combined with information on landings which can eventually be incorporated into a programme of stock monitoring. The aim of this paper is to highlight information on the Tilapia fishery that may benefit fisheries management.

Fishing gear selectivity for Lates niloticus L., Oreochromis niloticus L. and Rastrineobola argentea P. in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo

Catch effort data on which fisheries management regulations are sometimes based are not available for most lakes in Uganda. However, failure to regulate fishing gears and methods has been a major cause of collapse of fisheries in the country. Fisheries have been damaged by destructive and non-selective fishing gears and methods such as trawling and beach seining, by use of gill nets of mesh size which crop immature fish and by introduction of mechanised fishing. Selectivity of gears used to crop Lates niloticus L.(Nile perch), Oreochromis niloticus L. (Nile tilapia) and Rastrineobola argentea Pellegrin (Mukene) which are currently the most important commercial species in Uganda were examined in order to recommend the most suitable types, sizes and methods that should be used in exploiting these fisheries. Gill nets of less than 127 mm mainly cropped immature Nile tilapia and Nile perch. To protect these fisheries, the minimum mesh size of gill nets should be set at 127 mm. Seine nets of 5 mm caught high proportions in immature Mukene while those of 10 mm caught mainly mature Mukene. When operated inshore, both sizes caught immature Nile perch and Nile tilapia as by-catch. To protect the Mukene fishery and avoid catching immature bye-catch, a minimum mesh size of the Mukene net should be 10 mm operated as Lampara type net offshore, but since most fishermen have been using 5 mm seine nets for over five years the minimum size should not be allowed to drop below 5 mm pending further thorough investigations. Beach seining and trawling are destructive to fisheries and should be prohibited until data that may justify their use is available.

The exploitation of small pelagic fishes of the great lakes of Africa with reference to the mukene (Rastrineobola argentea) fishery of the northern waters of Lake Victoria

Small pelagic fish species have ultimately become important on most of the Great Lakes of Africa, especially after the depletion of the larger, initially preferred fish species. In Lake Victoria, the small pelagic cyprinid Rastrineobola argentea is now the only abundant native species supporting a fast growing light fishery. In Pilkington Bay, off Lingira Island the artisanal light fishery is well established and in the last two years this bay has witnessed a sharp increase in the fishing effort. This has been followed by a modification of fishing method and a reduction in the mesh size of nets used. R. argentea now caught from this bay consist of mainly juveniles and this could result into localized recruitment overfishing. Drawing examples from what is happening to the fishery in Pilkington Bay, it is necessary to carry out research on the stocks, gear and suitable fishing crafts before light fishing spreads to most parts of the lake.

Annual Report of the Game Department for the year ended 31st December, 1935

The fisheries section of the Annual report provides information on the following: Development and Control of the Victoria Nyanza Fishing Industry, Preparation of Statistics Statistical Tables: (A) Number of half yearly licences issued; (B) Quantities of nets imported; (0) Dried fish landed from Sese and Kome; (D) Dried fish imported from Mwanza ; (E) Dried fish exported to Belgian Congo; Lake Bunyonyi Lake Mutanda Lake Mureyhe Lake Mugisha (or Raiyumbu) I,ake Saka Lake Wamala Commercial Development: (i) Lake Albert: (ii) Lake Edward (iii) Other Waters (iv) Nsonzi Fishery, Kigezi (v) Introductions Experimental Nets and fisheries legislation

Fishing effort and the impact of fishing gears and fishing methods on fishes and fisheries of Kyoga basin lakes

Lake Kyoga at the time of Worthington Survey (Worthington, 1929) was fished by only natives around it. The fishing gears consisted of locally made basket traps, hooks and seine nets made out of papyrus. Fishing was mainly during the dry season as in wet season, the fishers would revert to crop growing. During 1937 to 1950s Oreochromis variabilis, oreochromis esculentus (Ngege) and Protopterus aethiopicus (Mamba) were the most important commercial fish species and contributed over 95% to the total landings until early 1950s when their proportions started to change as a result of changes in fishing techniques. The tilapiines' were then being caught using mainly basket traps and P.aethiopicus was caught in hooks prior to the mid 1950s.

The declining state of the gillnet fishery in Lake Victoria, Uganda

Lake Victoria had a multi-species fishery dominated until the 1970s by the tilapiine and the haplochromine cichlids (Kudhongania and Cordone, 1974). From about 1930 to 1960, the fisheries of Lake Victoria were managed by controlling the mesh size of gill nets. Gill nets of stretched mesh sizes less than 127 mm (5 inches) were prohibited as they cropped immature Oreochromis esculentus (Ngege), the most important commercial species on the lake (Graham, 1929). The catch per night in the legal 127 mm mesh nets was over 30 fish of O. esculentus prior to 1921 but dropped to 6 and 1.5 fish in 1928 and 1954, respectively, (Beauchamp, 1955), indicating overfishing of the stocks. The overall aim of the survey was to determine the available fish stocks being harvested by the gill net fishery. The specific objectives included the determination of the species composition and catch levels. Gill nets of mesh sizes from 25.4 mm (1 inch) to 228.6 mm (9 inches) were used.

Annual Report of the Game Department for the year ended 31st December 1949

The fisheries section of the Annual report provides information on the following: (1) General information (2) Legislation (3) Nets (4) Imports and Exports of Dried Fish B) Economic:- (1) Lake Victoria (2) Lake Albert (including the Albert Nile) (3) Report by Lake Albert Fisheries Officer (4) Lake Edward and Associated Fisheries (5) Lake Kyoga (6) Minor Lakes and the Victoria Nile (7) Dams and (8)Fish Transfers