"Africa's great lakes in peril." (Lake Victoria)

(March/April 1992).

For several decades, Lake Victoria, Africa's largest and the world's second largest fresh-water lake, has been a victim of overfishing, pollution, and sedimentation, as World Watch reported in early 1992. Victoria has been referred to as a "dying lake" by some scientists because many species have dwindled in number and are close to extinction, algal growth has exploded extensively, and oxygen levels have dropped very low. But since our 1992 report, representatives of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have formed the Lake Victoria Organization to coordinate rescue efforts.

One of those efforts is aimed at the Nile Perch, a voracious predator that was introduced in the early 19608 to increase fish catch, but has almost wiped out smaller species. To save some of these species from extinction, researchers affiliated with local and foreign institutions are breeding 40 different species of haplochromine and the popular ngege (tilapia) in aquariums in the United States and in Europe under an IUCN (World Conservation Union) program.

In response to an increased, international demand for the Nile Perch and other lake fish, commercial fishing fleets have not only displaced local fishermen but have also stripped many women in lakeside communities of one of their jobs. Processing of fish was traditionally performed by women but has now been taken over by large filleting plants. The women have resorted to processing fish waste, commonly referred to as mgongo-wazi, "bare-back" in Swahili. The waste, comprised of head, backbone, and tail, is sun-dried and then deep-fried and sold to local people drawn to its low price and nutritional value.

At the grassroots level, a group of professors, researchers, and community leaders called "Friends of Lake Victoria," or OSIENALA as abbreviated in the local Luo language, is working to protect the interests of local fishermen and to encourage aquaculture. In order to ease the demand that is affecting the size and diversity of Lake Victoria's fish stocks, OSIENALA is cooperating with local groups to educate the many millions of people who are dependent on the lake about the advantages of fish-farming. Elsewhere in the region, aquaculture is already offering an important alternative source of protein and income.

Meanwhile, to curb overfishing, government authorities in Uganda have placed a ban on the establishment of new fish processing plants by refusing to grant licenses to potential factory operators. The ban will be in effect until a stock assessment is performed and analyzed. In addition, Joseph Kaguthi, a provincial commissioner with the Kenyan government announced in October that no trawlers will be allowed to operate within 5 miles of the shore.

Finally, scientists are also working to combat a new, serious problem. Hyacinth, a water weed introduced in Uganda for its aesthetic appeal, is now out of control and threatens the Lake Victoria ecosystem. The weed has spread like wildfire, depleting the lake's already low concentrations of oxygen, immobilizing boats, and entangling nets; in heavily invaded areas, fish catch has dropped by 60 percent. Scientists' most promising approach involves harvesting the weed and using it for either compost or biogas production.