Scientists raise alarm over decline in Nile perch stock in Lake Victoria
A fisherman carries two large Nile perch fish at Lihunda Beach in Lake Victoria on June 26, 2016. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI
Will the commercial viability of Lake Victoria and its ecosystem be sustained? This is the question arising from re-emergence of low value native species like dagaa against dwindling stocks of high-value species like the Nile perch.
A new study, “Nile Perch and Transformation of Lake Victoria” published in the Africa Journal of Aquatic Science 2016 shows that haplochromines — diverse groups of small fish found in East Africa’s lakes — now form 60 per cent of the lake’s biomass. The other 40 per cent is made up of Nile perch, tilapia, catfish and lungfish, among other species.
