Overfishing sounds the death knell for Nile perch in Lake Victoria
Unlike this fisherman carrying a big catch, most factories have little reason to smile due to dwindling stocks in Lake Victoria. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The Nile perch rose to become the backbone of the lake zone economy, supporting 300,000 livelihoods directly and another three million indirectly, but the fish is now on the brink of extinction, posing a serious threat to Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest fresh water lake.
The Nile perch, or Lates niloticus, as it is known scientifically, is a large freshwater fish introduced in Lake Victoria in 1954 by the British government to increase the fish population. It can grow to a length of two metres and weigh 200 kilogrammes.
