Lake Victoria’s once-abundant fish stocks in decline
MiCT The Niles
A destructive combination of overfishing and pollution threatens the once-abundant fish stocks, and fragile environmental and economic ecosystems supported by Africa’s largest lake.
The Nile Basin annual fresh fish production is estimated at 3 million tons. (photo: The Niles | Mugume Davis)
Since the 1990s the number of fishermen and boats increased more than fourfold on Lake Victoria, but today each fisherman catches much less than during the boom years.
Meanwhile, traders from China fish in troubled waters: