Abstract:

Monitoring fish stocks in relation to species composition, abundance, distribution, catch, fishing effort and fish population structure is required for sound management of the fisheries resources. Catch Assessment Surveys (CASs) are important tools for monitoring trends in the fish catches, gear selectivity and exploitation patterns to inform development planning and management decisions. Catch Assessment Surveys on lakes Albert and Edward systems have, been characterized with inconsistencies due to inadequate financial and logistical support. This has led to either scarcity or scanty information on trends of the fish catches from the two systems.

CAS activities on lakes Albert and Edward systems were, supported by the Nile Basin Initiative / Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) in 2 consecutive years, 2019 and 2020. NELSAP is under the Multinational Lakes Edward and Albert Integrated Fisheries and Water Resources Management (LEAF II) Project. The 2020 studies, 36 landing sites (22 on Albert and 14 on Edward, George and Kazinga channel) were sampled. Data collection from all the systems was, done both the enumerators, Fisheries Officers at the district level in conjunction with both NaFIRRI and DiFR staff following the standard operating procedures for Catch assessment.


Annual production was estimated at 8668.8 tons from the three systems comprising of; Edward (3310.6 t, 40.1%); George (4488.9 t, 54.3%); & Kazinga Channel (869.3 t, 10.5%). The total catch was valued at UGX 51.23 billion shillings (bn) hence; Edward (UGX 19.3 bn; 37.7%); George (UGX 27.19 bn, 53.07%); & Kazinga Channel (UGX 4.75 bn, 9.27%). Lake Albert, recorded an increase in total catches from 335,474.6 t to 348,535.8 t in years 2019 and 2020 respectively hence 3.8% increment.. During the samplings >70% comprised of the two small pelagic species; Engraulicypris nurse and Brycinus nurse. This was followed by one of the, demersal fishes of Nile perch. Lake Albert recorded an increase in terms of value of the fishes produced as compared to the later years.. Despite dominating the annual catch, the combined contribution of E. bredoi and B. nurse annual revenue was only 35.3% compared to the 20.1% from Nile perch that constituted < 10% of the lake annual catch production.

Information from the three systems show increase in the annual production in both total catches and value. However, fishes harvested from Lake Albert, the size structure of the commercial fishes indicate to be below the recommended sizes in accordance to Fisheries Act 2020. Then for Lake Edward system the catches were from the recommended gears thus with in the fisheries laws. This was attributed by, the enforcement and fisheries officers in that system. This can be also be applied on Lake Albert that has shown economic importance of the large sized species, particularly Nile perch whose annual beach revenue far superseded that of the dominant small pelagic; Engraulicypris nurse and Brycinus nurse to curb illegalities.


The low economic returns from the two dominant small sized fish species E. nurse and B. nurse stresses the need to improve fish handling facilities appropriate for these fishes. This will help in the promotion of the fishes for human consumption in addition to animal feed that has been at the dominant scale.

In the future developments, it would be of value to have , fishery independent stock assessment studies (fisheries trawls and hydro-acoustics) as a backup on the FS and CAS (fishery dependent studies) in these water bodies to guide management on the stock levels, biomass and the maximum sustainable yield. This information will help us in sustainable utilization of the lake resources in the two shared water systems the through. Co-management systems and legal fisheries framework.