Abstract:
The Victoria and Kyoga lake basins had a high fi sh species diversity with many fish species
that were found only in these lakes. Two Tilapiines species Oreochromis esculentus and
Oreochromis variabilis were the most important commercial species in these lakes and were
found nowhere else on earth except in the Victoria and Kyoga lake basins (Graham 1929,
Worthington 1929). Lakes Kyoga and Nabugabo also had endemic haplochromine species
(Worthington 1929, Trewavas 1933, Greenwood 1965, 1966). As stocks of introduced
species increased, stocks of most of the native species declined rapidly or disappeared
altogether. The study was carried out on Lakes Victoria and Kyoga, River Nile, some
selected satellite lakes from the two basins namely Lakes Mburo, Kachera, Wamala,
Kayanja, Kayugi, Nabugabo, Victoria, Victoria nile and River Sio(Victoria lake basin).
Lakes Kyoga (Iyingo), Nawampasa, Nakuwa, Gigati, Nyaguo, Agu, Kawi and Lemwa (Kyoga lake basin).