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.
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.
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