Tanzania, Uganda among top fishing nations

Fishermen haul in their catch in deep seas. Overfishing is depleting Lake Victoria waters of fish. FILE 

By JEFF OTIENO The EastAfrican

In Summary

• Uganda ranks sixth in the category of the world’s top inland water capture, while Tanzania occupies the eighth position.
• FAO is warning that the two countries and others on the continent face a sharp decline in fish catch unless they embrace sustainable fishing practices and respect the ecological balance in river and lake ecosystems.
• The projected decline must worry East African countries, since, unlike the past, fish now plays a critical role in their economies, both as a source of food and foreign exchange.

Two East African countries have entered the ranks of the world’s top fishing nations and concerns that the region faces a major decline in fish production due to indiscriminate fishing practices.

Uganda and Tanzania recently entered the big league in fish production, a pointer that the activity is fast becoming a vital source of livelihood, nutrition and economic opportunities in the region.

According to data from the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Uganda ranks sixth in the category of the world’s top inland water capture, while Tanzania occupies the eighth position.

The two countries are the leading producers of fish captured in inland waters, mainly rivers and lakes, due to increased exploitation of the resource using both traditional and modern methods in the past decade.

However, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is warning that the two countries and others on the continent face a sharp decline in fish catch unless they embrace sustainable fishing practices and respect the ecological balance in river and lake ecosystems.

“Fish stocks in many African water bodies are declining through a combination of over-fishing invasive species and habitat degradation,” says the organisation.

READ: Climate change, declining fish stocks see output stagnate

Current figures show that fish captured by the two countries have increased sharply in the last decade as more East Africans enter the sub-sector to eke out a living and the demand for fish increases both locally and globally. The worry is that the fish stocks are not being exploited in a manner that allows them to replenish.

Uganda captured 437,415 tonnes of fish in 2011 and declining slightly to 407,638 tonnes in 2012.

Tanzania captured 290,963 tonnes of fish in 2011 and 314,945 tonnes in 2012. The figures are more than twice what Kenya captures from inland fishing, which is currently at 123,861 tonnes.

The projected decline must worry East African countries, since, unlike the past, fish now plays a critical role in their economies, both as a source of food and foreign exchange. In the recent past, the sub-sector has also gained significance in eliminating hunger and reducing poverty in the region.

According to statistics from the Uganda Fish Processors and Exporters Association, Uganda exported 16,697 tonnes of fish in 2010, earning about $86,016. In 2011, the country exported 16,478 tonnes, worth $89,093, increasing the figure the following year to 18,255 tonnes and earning $88,293.

Tanzania, on the other hand, exported about 15,000 tonnes last year, down from 51,426 tonnes and 57,795 tonnes in 2008 and 2007 respectively. Latest figures show that in 2011, Tanzania earned $137.033 million from fish exports, while Kenya earned about $86.2million.

A sharp decline in fish production will deny East African countries foreign exchange and one of the most nutritious foods consumed by millions in the world.

In fact, alarm bells have already been sounded on the declining stocks in Lake Victoria, one of the major sources of inland fish for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.