Annual report 2001 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). Tenth meeting, Victoria, B.C., Canada, October 5-13, 2001

Report of Opening Session (pdf 42 KB) Report of Governing Council Meeting (pdf 89 KB) Reports of Science Board and Committees: Science Board (pdf 88 KB) Study Group on North Pacific Ecosystem Status Report and Regional Analysis Center Biological Oceanography Committee (pdf 57 KB) Working Group 14: Effective sampling of micronekton Advisory Panel on Marine Birds and Mammals Fishery Science Committee (pdf 37 KB) Working Group 16: Climate change, shifts to fish production, and fisheries management Marine Environmental Quality Committee (pdf 62 KB) Working Group 15: Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the North Pacific Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee (pdf 34 KB) Working Group 13: CO2 in the North Pacific Technical Committee on Data Exchange (pdf 24 KB) Implementation Panel on the CCCC Program (pdf 39 KB) BASS Task Team (pdf 32 KB) Advisory Panel on Iron Fertilization Experiment MODEL Task Team (pdf 22 KB) MONITOR Task Team (pdf 32 KB) Advisory Panel on Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey in the North Pacific REX Task Team (pdf 21 KB) Report of the Finance and Administration Committee (pdf 53 KB) List of Participants (pdf 67 KB) List of Acronyms (pdf 13 KB)

Annual report 1992 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). First meeting, Victoria, B.C., Canada, October 12-17, 1992

Document has 52 pages.

Overview and bibliography of the literature of socio-economic relevance to the fisheries of Lake Victoria

An overview is provided of the literature of socio-economic relevance to the fisheries of Lake Victoria. It covers the following areas: marketing studies; management; changes to the structure of the fishery; and, base-line studies. The bibliography provides a guide to the more important documents on Lake Victoria's socio-economy and includes a total of 177 references

List of institutions of managerial relevance to the fisheries of Lake Victoria

The list provides addresses of institutions in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda which are of managerial relevance to the fisheries of Lake Victoria, indicating the relevant area covered

The survey of Lake Victoria's fishers

The findings are presented of a survey conducted regarding the fishers of Lake Victoria, which examined the relationships affecting supply flows of raw material on to the market, and also the characteristics of fishing activities and their effects on fish quality and distribution. Fish marketing plays a vital role in the lives of much of the lake basin's population, both in terms of employment and nutrition. The results of the survey comprise, in part, a base-line data set which will facilitate further research, analysis and management decision-making in relation to stakeholders of the lake's resources. Data collection, methods and research difficulties encountered are described and details given of a profile of a boat owner/renter and aslo of a profile of a crew member. The survey shows that Lake Victoria's fishery is one of very limited diversity. The fishers recount that they consistently target one or more of the 3 most common species within the lake (Nile perch, tilapia and dagaa) and very rarely consider any other species type. The largest proportion of fishers on the lake are Nile perch fishers; there is considerable demand for this species, and hence fishers have little incentive to either target alternative fish species, not to try and establish firm marketing outlets through the creation of arrangements with their principal buyers. In Kenyan waters, however, the number of Nile perch fishers is equaled by the number of dagaa fishers; this fish now commands a considerable portion of the market for fish from Lake Victoria through its availability as well as its relatively low prices. The tilapia fishery is in decline, and all 3 riparian states would not appear to be attracting investment almost certainly as a result of declining catches. For many of those working in Lake Victoria's fishery, the problems faced appear most often to be associated with the vagaries of an unstable market which may rise or fall depending on the state of the international market or the state of access roads to fish landings. (PDF contains 42 pages)

Water quality and nutrient dynamics - Lake Victoria, Kenya

Limnological studies in Lake Victoria (Kenyan portion) have been sporadic. Water quality and nutrient dynamics studies are being undertaken in fifteen sampling sites that have been divided into four ecological zones namely: Nyanza Gulf, Rusinga Channel, open waters inshore and open waters. The ongoing study will show how the physical and chemical paramenters affect fish distribution and abundance.

Fisheries management in the social domain: perspectives from Tanzania's Lake Victoria fishery

For a long time, the Tanzanian Fisheries Department has managed Tanzanian fisheries without incorporating other stakeholders within its management framework. On lake Victoria, the persistent use of illegal fishing gear and declining catches have led the government to realize that this system of fisheries management may no longer be viable, and have sought to incorporate fishing communities into the management structure. Through the creation of beach management units (BMUs), the Fisheries Departments have sought to persuade fishing communities to implement and enforce Tanzania's fishing regulations and to monitor the fishery. In this paper we explore a recently gathered data set that yields information on, amongst others, how Tanzanian fishing communities perceive the state of their resource base, how they view their relationship with the Fisheries Department, the efficacy of fishing regulations and other variables. We draw on a series of criteria developed by Ostron (1990) for institutional 'robustness' to explore various areas of institutional development on Lake Victoria, and to try and anticipate how the BMUs will fare. We argue there are many socio-political and economic factors that will determine how communities will receive and perceive their responsibilities towards government-imposed administrative structures at the local level, these will become 'socialized' such that they will vary from place to place. While this may bode well for problems of heterogeneity, it does not necessarily mean that fisheries management objective on Lake Victoria will be met

Regulation in Uganda's Lake Victoria fishery: historical and contemporary conditions

This paper sets out to explore how Uganda's lake Victoria fishery has been managed. It explores the management of the fishery during the protectorate period, and argues that the apparent success of regulation during this time may be attributed to the very heightened controls arising from Sleeping Sickness Controls. Once these were removed, entry into the fishery was rapid and uncontrolled, and the resultant impact on fish stocks was quickly felt. With its huge area, considerable shoreline, and innumerable islands, the lake Victoria fisheries service was quickly overwhelmed and disbanded as a result. In the early independence years, the Republic's government focused on developing the fishery, plans thwarted by turmoil of, and following, Idi Amin's reign. More recently, the fishery has prospered from Uganda's entry into the Nile perch fillet export market, which ahs adversely affected stocks. We present and comment on recently collected data that considers fishers' impressions of the status of the fishery, regulations and future managerial possibilities, and comment on these in the light of recent changes to Uganda's fisheries administration

Fisheries legislation of Lake Victoria: present legislation and new developments

This paper provides an overview of fisheries legislation in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania as far it concerns the administration of Lake Victoria's fishery. It also provides brief comment on the structure of these nations' fisheries departments and how they have evolved in recent years. The administration of Kenya's Lake Victoria fishery has changed very little since the introduction of the 1988 Fisheries Act. In Tanzania and Uganda, however, government policies of decentralization have had a profound impact on fisheries administration at a local level. This paper examines these changes and speculates about possible future management scenarios for these two countries

Some aspects of the ecology and reproduction of the small pelagic cyprinid, Rastrineobola argentea in Lake Victoria

This study concentrated on the reproductive biology of the small pelagic cyprinid Rastrineobola argentea. The results indicate that this fish is an inshore spawning species, which agrees with other recent studies. It was also found that in areas where fishing intensity was likely to be relatively high, the size at first maturity of R. argentea was reduced, which is likely to be an effect of the fish altering its reproductive strategy according to life history theory. The CPUE results showed a general trend of decreasing with distance from shore, however areas less than one kilometer from the shore were not sampled. Evidence was also found suggesting that the cestode parasite, Ligula intestinalis had an adverse effect on the maturation and fecundity of R. argentea. Some management options concerning the findings in this study are also briefly discussed. (PDF has 82 pages)

The distribution and abundance of Copepoda and Cladocera in the Lake Victoria, Kenya

Fourteen stations were sampled in the Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria in order to assess distribution and abundance of zooplankton. Seven stations were selected in the Nyanza gulf while the rest were in the open waters of the lake. Zooplanktons samples were collected monthly from November 1998 to January 1999, using a 1.5 m long Nansen type plankton net of 243 mu m mesh size and 50 cm diameter. Representative specimens were dissected and identified to species level

Community-based organizations on Lake Victoria: a lesson from the Tweyambe Fishing Enterprise in Muleba District, Kagera Region, Tanzania

This paper is aimed at government, non-government organizations, intergovernmental organizations and the general public as they work toward the development of their individual strategies and action plans. It has been recognized that community-based organizations have a particular relevance to the pursuit of sustainable resource management and may well contribute to the foundations of self-sustenance. Women on Lake Victoria, Tanzania presently face great challenges within the fishery. These include the lack of capital, interference by men, theft of fishing gear, time constraints and socio-cultural problems. In recent years, the fish trading and marketing sectors of the fishery, which have traditionally been dominated by women, have seen large incursions by male entrepreneurs. This move has endangered the role of women within the fishery. This paper focuses on the Tweyambe Fishing Enterprise (TFE), a well-known women's group based in Kasheno village in the Muleba District of Kagera Region in northwestern Tanzania. Inhabitants from the Haya ethnic group who make up some 95% of the population of Kagera Region dominate this village. The TFE has a series of initiatives aimed towards ecologically sound self-development

Ownership and co-management: towards the integrated management of Lake Victoria

The management of Lake Victoria is a high priority to the riparian countries that benefit directly from its resources. Management regulations have been formulated and implemented with the aim of maintaining the lake's ecological quality as well as sustaining fisheries exploitation for economic gain. Results indicate, however, that the regulations have not been successful in maintaining the state of the lake's ecosystem nor the fisheries. There has been a continuing decline in fish catches as well as declining biodiversity. Currently, the riparian countries are considering the introduction of a co-management regime as an alternative managerial strategy to address the lake's problems. In this paper it is argued that the failure of the former management regulations was because ownership of the lake was not clearly defined. It is further argued that even if co-management were to be successfully instituted, it will yield very minimal results if the problem of ownership is not properly addressed. This paper explores the ownership status of the lake based on data collected in Tanzania, and examines the relationship between, and significance of, ownership and co-management. The research makes recommendations for how these concepts can contribute to an integrated management of the lake

An assessment of co-management potentials in the Lake Victoria fisheries of Kenya

Co-management is a system or a process in which responsibility and authority for the management of common resources is shared between the state, local users of the resources as well as other stakeholders, and where they have the legal authority to administer the resource jointly. Co-management has received increasing attention in recent years as a potential strategy for managing fisheries. This paper presents and discusses results of a survey undertaken in the Kenyan part of Lake Victoria to assess the conditions - behaviour, attitude and characteristics of resource users, as well as community institutions - that can support co-management. It analyses the results of this survey with respect to a series of parameters, identified by Pinkerton (1989), as necessary preconditions for the successful inclusion of communities involvement in resource management. The survey was implemented through a two-stage stratified random sampling technique based on district and beach size strata. A total of 405 fishers, drawn from 25 fish landing beaches, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The paper concludes that while Kenya's lake Victoria fishery would appear to qualify for a number of these preconditions, it would appear that it fails to qualify in others. Preconditions in this latter category include the definition of boundaries in fishing grounds, community members' rights to the resource, delegation and legislation of local responsibility and authority. Additional work is required to further elaborate and understand these shortcomings

Who's doing what sustainably? Fishermen's perceptions of managerial responsibility on Lake Victoria, East Africa

This paper examines the data recently collected from Lake Victoria (SEDAWOG, 2000a). In the first section, it provides the results from the survey that examines fishermen's perceptions of the status of the resource base. In the second section, it starts with an examination of boundaries, followed by an examination of these data insofar as they relate to fishermen's understanding of roles. We conclude the paper with a brief discussion of what these findings mean for fisheries management on Lake Victoria in particular, and our understanding of co-managerial applications more generally