THE STRATEGIC VISION

 

FOR LAKE VICTORIA FISHERIES

(1999 –2015)

 

 

 

CHAPTER  I

 

BACKGROUND TO THE STRATEGIC VISION

 

 

Introduction

 

1.         Lake Victoria with a surface area of 68,800 km2 and a catchment area of 284,000 km2, is the world’s second largest freshwater body (second only to Lake Superior of North America in size), and the largest in the developing world. It has a shoreline of approximately 3,500 km long.   The lake touches the Equator in its northern reaches, and lies between latitude 0.70 N  -  30 S and longitude 31.80 E  -  34.80 E.  It is a relatively shallow lake with an average depth of 40 metres and a maximum depth of 80 metres.

 

2.             The countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania border the lake and control 6%, 45% and 49% of the lake surface, respectively. The gross economic product in the lake basin is between US$ 3-4 billion annually, and supports an estimated population of 30 million people with incomes in the range of US$ 90-270 per capita per annum.  The Lake catchment thus provides for the livelihood of about one third of the combined populations of the three countries, and about the same proportion of the combined gross domestic product.  It is estimated that the present value of annual export earnings from the fishery is at the extent of about US$ 600 million, which represents a revenue to the lake community of US$ 240-480 million per annum.

 

3.             Over the years there has been increased fish production from Lake Victoria.  In Uganda,  yields rose from 10,000 metric tonnes in 1980 to 132,400 metric tonnes in the 1989.  From that period the catches have been gradually reducing that in 1995 the catch was 106,000 metric tonnes.   In Tanzania, annual catch has risen from 146,000 metric tons in 1988 to 231,600 metric tonnes in 1990.  In Kenya, the catch rose from 186,000 metric tonnes in 1989 to 190,000 metric tonnes in 1993. The increase has led to the establishment of fish processing plants along the shores of Lake Victoria, which target  the international fish markets of Europe and Asia.  The number of fish processing industries in the Region are as follows: Kenya (12), Uganda (10) and Tanzania (12).

 

4.             Of the various uses/benefits from Lake Victoria, it is fish that receive the most attention.  Most of the fish fauna of the lake, other than the recent introductions, lived  between  two million and ten thousand years ago in the west flowing rivers that later flooded to form the lake.  The lake has since experienced explosive speciation particularly amongst the haplochromine cichlids, estimated to comprise over 300 species.  This burst of speciation has been in response to the change from river to lake conditions. Although similar phenomena happened in other lakes, in Lake Victoria it happened much more recently, more rapidly and with fewer opportunities for ecological isolation in different types of habitats.

 

5.             The catchment area of Lake Victoria is slowly being degraded due to deforestation. The increase in human population in the riparian area has put pressure on the forests for agricultural land, timber, firewood and habitation.  This deforestation, coupled with bad agricultural practices, has degraded the soil leading to siltation along the rivers into the lake. Agro-chemicals and industrial effluents are now polluting the lake, while deforestation, soil erosion, and increasing human and livestock populations have all contributed to increased nutrient loading because of changing land use patterns.  Sewage effluents from urban centres and fisher communities around the lake also contribute to the big nutrient load which in turn has brought about eutrophication by a factor of five.  Eutrophication has increased algal populations, caused deoxygenation of deep water and created conditions favourable for the growth of noxious weeds such as water hyacinth.

 

6.                Wetlands, which normally filter the water before entering the lake are under stress.  Wetlands are reclaimed for agriculture, industrial development and human settlements, while others are drained to control human disease vectors.  Some are excessively harvested for making mats, baskets, and chairs. Many of the wetlands have received too much pollution to the extent that they cannot perform their filtration function efficiently.  Therefore, pollutants normally retained by wetlands enter the lake unchecked, thus further contributing to the deterioration of our lake water.

 

7.                Communities around the lake have a role to play in the conservation of the environment and the lake if they are sensitised, mobilised and involved.  They have to be given responsibility to protect, conserve, and manage the environment.  To this end, the roles and rights of the different key players have to be spelt out clearly so that conflict between resource users and managers are minimised.  The returns that are to be accrued from their contribution should also be clear.  This management strategy is the collaborative resource management which is better than  the policing management which has failed. 

 

8.             Within the last thirty years (1960-1990s), the native Tilapia (Oreochromis esculentus), previously a fish of the greatest commercial  importance, has virtually disappeared from Lake Victoria, but still found in small  quantities within the satellite lakes.  Other fish species that have declined drastically include the migratory species, and the haplochromine cichlids.  At the same time both Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) have established themselves in the lake to the extent that they now dominate the commercial fisheries of Lake Victoria.  The sardine-like native fish (Rastrineobola argentea), locally known as “dagaa/omena/mukene”, now features prominently among the commercial catches.

 

9.                Collaborations between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on Lake Victoria started in 1928 when an authority was established to collect fisheries statistics.  The collaboration was cemented with the formation of the East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization (EAFFRO) in 1947.  This was further strengthened by the birth of the East African Community in 1967.

 

10.          Another body under the auspices of FAO, the Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA) was formed in the 1970s to assist member countries to establish scientific basis for regulatory and other management measures for conservation and sustainability of inland fisheries resources.  The findings were then used to formulate measures and make appropriate recommendations for adoption and implementation by member countries.

 

11.          With the collapse of the East African Community in 1977  the regional co-ordinating organ crumbled.  However, the need to have a co-ordinating body for the affairs of Lake Victoria has remained.  After the establishment of the Permanent Tripartite Commission for East African Co-operation in 1993, it became apparent that a more formalised regional organization to deal with the Lake Victoria resources under the East African Co-operation arrangement was necessary.

 

12.                Between 1991 and 1995 three seminars were held in the region under the auspices of the FAO-CIFA Sub-Committee on Lake Victoria to discuss management issues, options and strategies for each of the riparian States.  These seminars led to the creation of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Commission and later the establishment of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) in a conference of plenipotentiaries on 30th June 1994 in Kisumu, Kenya. 

 

13.                The establishment of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization has been facilitated by the concerted efforts of the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the European Union through the Lake Victoria Fisheries Research Project (LVFRP), and the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (World Bank/GEF) through funding of the Lake Victoria Environment Management Project (LVEMP).  Appropriate linkages and  partnerships will be established with institutions and stakeholders.

 

            Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization

 

14.          The Strategic Vision document describes the focus, intent and direction of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization programmes through the year 2015.  Embracing a holistic management view, a healthy ecosystem approach has been adopted as the fundamental concept for Lake Victoria.  The document describes what the Organization desires as a future state for Lake Victoria. Therefore, the Strategic Vision will be the guiding force for the Organization into the next Millennium. The following information (15-22) is as in the LVFO Convention.

 

Objectives

15.          The objectives of  the LVFO as  stipulated in the  Convention are to:

(i)             Foster co-operation among the Contracting Parties,  

(ii)           Harmonise national measures for the sustainable utilisation of the living resources of the lake, and

(iii)          Develop and adopt conservation and management measures to assure the Lake’s ecosystem health and sustainability of the living resources.

 

Function and Responsibility

 

16.             To achieve the above objectives, the LVFO has the function and responsibility to:

(i) Promote the proper management and optimum utilisation of the fisheries resources of the lake

(ii)                 Enhance capacity building of existing institutions and develop additional institutions dedicated to, or likely to contribute to, the purposes of the Convention in co-operation with existing institutions established in or by the Contracting Parties and with such international, regional or non-governmental organizations as may be appropriate;

 

(iii)          Provide a forum for discussion(s) of the impacts of initiatives dealing with the environmental and water quality in the Lake basin and maintain a strong liaison with the existing bodies and programmes;

(iv)          Provide for the conduct of research concerning the waters of Lake Victoria, including without limitation the quality of such waters, in particular with  respect to supporting the living resources of the Lake and the nature, extent and pathways of its pollution and other forms of environmental degradation;

(v)           Encourage, recommend, co-ordinate and, as appropriate, undertake training and extension activities in all aspects of fisheries;

(vi)          Consider and advise on the effects of the direct or indirect introduction of non-indigenous aquatic animals or plants into the waters of Lake Victoria or its tributaries and to adopt measures regarding introduction, monitoring, control or elimination of any such animals or plants.

(vii)         Serve as a clearing-house and data bank for information on Lake Victoria fisheries and promote the dissemination of information without prejudice to industrial property rights, by any appropriate form of publication;

(viii)        In respect of any or all of the foregoing, adopt budgets, seek funding, formulate plans for financial management and allocate funds to activities of the Organization, or to such activities of the Contracting Parties as it may determine to be in furtherance of the purpose of  the Organization’s Convention; and

(ix)           Undertake such other functions as it may determine to be necessary or desirable to achieve the purpose of this convention.

 

Organizational Structure

 

17.          The organs of the Organization are:

 

(i)            The Council of Ministers

(ii)           The Policy Steering Committee

(ii)           The Executive Committee

(iii)                Other committees and working groups such as

·                     the Fisheries Management Committee,

·                     the Scientific Committee,

·                     the National Committees for Lake Victoria Fisheries, and

·                     such other Committees as may be established

(iv)                The Permanent Secretariat.

 

18           The Council of Ministers is composed of the Ministers responsible for fisheries of the Contracting parties or their authorised representatives.  This is the supreme body of the Organization which meets once every two years. The Chairmanship rotates alphabetically.

 

19.          The Policy Steering Committee is composed of Permanent Secretaries (Chief Executive Officers) of Ministries responsible for fisheries matters of the Contracting Parties or their authorised representatives.  This committee is responsible for steering policy. The Chairmanship rotates alphabetically on a yearly basis.

 

20.          The Executive Committee consists of six members who are heads of the departments responsible for fisheries management and the heads of the institutes responsible for fisheries research in each of the three Contracting Parties or their authorised representatives.  The Chairmanship also rotates alphabetically on a yearly basis.

 

21.          The Fisheries Management Committee is constituted by the heads of the departments responsible for fisheries management of the three Contracting Parties or their authorised representatives. The Scientific Committee is constituted by the heads of the institutions responsible for fisheries research of the three Contracting Parties or their authorised representatives.

 

22.          The National Committees are established by each Contracting Party and headed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry responsible for fisheries management, to serve as a forum for consultation, co-ordination and information on activities concerning Lake Victoria.  Each National Committee is composed of but not limited to, representatives from the various departments or institutions responsible for fisheries, scientific research, environment, agriculture, forestry, water quality, planning, industry, development tourism and finance.  It also includes representatives of the private sector whose activities have an impact upon or derive benefit from Lake Victoria ecological systems.

 

23.          The Permanent Secretariat currently has the following staff: the Executive Secretary, Deputy Executive Secretary, Senior Scientist, Senior Economist, Administrative Officer (Finance and Administration), Administrative Officer (Information and Database), and the general staff.  The headquarters of the Secretariat is located at Jinja, Uganda.

 

Background to the Strategic Vision

 

24.          The establishment of Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization was initiated by FAO and the three East African countries as a body to address regional issues concerning the lake.  The riparian countries did not have a platform to address common lake problems after the demise of the East African Community.

 

25.          Some of the issues on the lake that are of immediate concern are: fisheries regulations (mesh sizes, closed seasons, closed areas), illegal fishing gears and methods, open access, control and management of noxious water weeds, pollution, control of effluents discharges, eutrophication and deoxygenation, management of wetlands, state of the stocks and their biology, conservation, environmental considerations and socio-economic issues.

 

26.          To fulfil its mandate and develop programme of action, the LVFO, called  a stakeholders workshop from 15 to 16 July 1998,  to formulate a Strategic Vision for the period 1999 - 2015, to deal with the Lake issues.  During the workshop the issues generated and those imposed on the fisheries sector were identified, listed and discussed.   A situational analysis  of the Lake Victoria fisheries was done to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and to assess the capabilities of the institutional arrangements within the region to deal with the issues.  Suggestions were made on how to turn the weaknesses to strengths and threats to opportunities. An action plan was made by prioritising the issues, formulating the vision, identifying objectives and milestones, and suggesting the activities that will have to be carried out by the LVFO and their collaborators to achieve the desired outputs.  Time frames were put with the expected milestones.  An overall Vision Statement for the Organization was formulated from the specific vision statements on the various issues identified.  The output of the workshop resulted into the development of a Strategic Vision for the Organization.  The Strategic Vision will be the guiding force and reference point for the LVFO as the main operational document for the next millennium.  It will be reviewed by the stakeholders every 5 years to evaluate the progress made.

 

 

 

CHAPTER II

CONCEPT, VISION AND STRATEGY

 

Fundamental Concept

 

27.          The Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization fundamental concept is sustainability of a healthy ecosystem for Lake Victoria.  The LVFO adopts and advocates an ecosystem approach to management, research and development of the lake.  It acknowledges the collective responsibility of member States towards the Lake and the need for joint decision - making and action.  This acknowledgement is rooted on the recognition of the interconnection of air, land and water of Lake Victoria basin and its inhabitants.

 

28.          The ecosystem approach recognises the interdependence of living and non-living habitats of Lake Victoria basin, as well as their interactions, which result into system - level effects on the lake.  This concept is consistent with the 1994 Convention on Lake Victoria that established the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization. It is well suited to address complex problems with extensive linkages, such as the introduction of unwanted exotic species, toxic chemicals in fish, non-point pollution sources and invasion of noxious water weeds.

 

29.          The ecosystem approach encompasses the LVFO concept of common systems/resource management, which involve the interplay of various stakeholders in the management of the lake resources.  The stakeholders include the artisanal fisherfolk, local communities, industrial fish processors, researchers, policy makers / managers, consumers and riparian governments among others.

 

 

The Vision

 

The Vision Statement

 

30.          The LVFO broad vision is to:

Foster a common systems/resource management approach amongst the Contracting Parties in matters regarding Lake Victoria, with the goal of restoring and maintaining the health of its ecosystem, and assuring sustainable development to the benefit of the present and future generations.

 

31.          The ecosystem concept gives rise to five specific vision statements, which are adopted and together form the strategic vision of the LVFO.  The specific vision statements are:

 

(i)            A Healthy Lake Victoria Ecosystem and Sustainable Resources

(ii)           Integrated Fisheries Management

(iii)          Co-ordinated Research Programmes

(iv)          Information Generation, Flow and Exchange

(v)           Institutional/Stakeholder Partnerships

 

32.          Each specific vision statement, which is supported by specific objectives and milestones, has equal priority and is interpreted in context with the others.  The objectives and milestones are not a conclusive list of characteristics, but are a reflection of key attributes that should occur when a specific vision statement is accomplished.  These were picked out for their perceived importance as monitorable indicators and their ease of measurement.

 

33.          The LVFO is committed to:

·       The rehabilitation and protection of a healthy aquatic ecosystem for Lake Victoria, the development and implementation of appropriate methods for the control of pollution and noxious water weeds, and to foster collaboration among institutions involved in research and management of the Lake ecosystem;

·       Initiate, strengthen, and co-ordinate institutional, policy, and legal framework towards consensus building to  foster integrated fisheries management in the Lake Victoria basin;

·       Co-ordinate research programmes, acquire, and disseminate scientific information for sustainable management of the fisheries resources of Lake Victoria basin;

·       The establishment of common data standards, shared databases and co-ordinated/joint data collection, analysis and information to foster effective and efficient information generation, flow and exchange for Lake Victoria;

·       Forge partnership and collaboration with institutions and stakeholders, and consolidate the relationship with mutual arrangements, through joint delivery of complementary programmes, focused on Lake Victoria sustainability and socio-economic development of the riparian communities;

 

Strategies for Lake Victoria Management

 

34.    To realise the goals of the Vision, the LVFO will apply both the harmonisation and consolidation strategies.  This is in line with the LVFO’s overall objective, which is to foster co-operation among the member States and assure the Lake’s ecosystem health and sustainability of the living resources, through development and adoption of appropriate conservation and management measures.  The harmonisation strategy, therefore, is based on the second objective of the LVFO, which is to: harmonise national measures for the sustainable utilisation of the living resources of the Lake.  This will be achieved by co-ordinating management, research, development programmes and other activities on Lake Victoria, as well as formulating essential common policies for the member states for consideration by the Contracting Parties and other stakeholders.  Overall, there is a need to consolidate efforts and achievements into strong structures of commitment, policies, programmes and institutions to ensure that whatever success made is sustained for Lake Victoria.

 

 

CHAPTER III

 

LAKE VICTORIA ECOSYSTEM

 

35.       A Healthy Ecosystem Vision Statement

 

The Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization is committed to the rehabilitation and protection of a healthy aquatic ecosystem for Lake Victoria, the development and implementation of appropriate methods for the control of pollution and noxious water weeds, and the fostering of collaboration among institutions involved in research and management of the lake ecosystem.

 

36.            Specific Objectives for the Ecosystem

                The LVFO will co-ordinate activities and assist the Contracting Parties to fulfil the following specific objectives:

 

(i)             Maintenance of the totality of the lake ecosystem through good management practices,

(ii)            Conservation of biodiversity through the rehabilitation and

maintenance of  indigenous fish species and protection from the

 destruction of the existing species, biodiversity, and their habitats,.

(iii) Control noxious water weeds through integrated environmentally friendly methods,

(iv) Put in place programmes to control  eutrophication and pollution in

the lake,

(v) To establish the dynamics of the Lake Victoria ecosystem with a view to develop appropriate interventions to its ecology.

(vi) Involve the local people and industries to co-operate in the water

quality and wetlands management,

(vii) Facilitate the sustainable utilisation of the Lake resources to

provide socio-economic benefits to society,

37.                Milestones for the Ecosystem

A sustainable Lake Victoria ecosystem with safe water, controlled pollutants and siltation loading, increased fish species and well functioning wetlands by  the  year 2015 through the following monitorable indicators:

·       No further loss of native fish species and indicators in other trophic levels;

·       Carry out studies on emerging lake issues e.g the El nino, use of poison in fishing, from by 2015;

·       Strengthened programmes, policies, and legislation that prohibit the illegal  introductions of exotic organisms that have the potential for naturalisation in Lake Victoria by 2000;

·       Instituting a working group to study the introductions of exotic species in the lake region;

·       Call for a regional workshop to evaluate the effectiveness of the water hyacinth control programmes by 2000;

·       Lay down a strategy for continuous monitoring and control of water weeds

infestation;

·       Production of simple manuals, pamphlets and testing kits for local people and industries to co-operate in water quality assessment by 2001;

·       Complete an inventory of the major pollutants and toxins, recommend and report on appropriate control measures by 2003;

·       Review of current  programmes collecting data on the following by 2003:

à      Siltation and turbidity,

à      Nutrient loading and cycling,

à      Eutrophication,

à      Pollution loading,

à      Plankton assemblages and algal blooms,

à      Primary production rates,

à      Lake stratification and development of anoxia,

à      Lake microbial flora and their roles,

à      Food webs and trophic relations,

à      Levels and extent of deforestation and production capacities of tree nurseries;

·       Development of land use (including wetlands) management practices by 2005.

·       Development of guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment, monitoring, and mitigation measures for industries around the lake established by 2004.

 

Justification for a Healthy Lake Victoria Ecosystem

 

38.          After the 1960s a combination of overfishing, invading species and water weeds, habitat degradation and introduction of exotic species resulted in a less diverse, erratic and environmentally depressed Lake Victoria fishery. The interdependence of aquatic resources on a variety of other factors exert increasing pressure on the Lake’s ecosystem, through:

·       conflicting use of water, land and biological resources;

·       poor infrastructure development;

·       poor land use including the wetlands;

·       Deforestation of lakeside and island habitats;

·       Industrial, urban and agricultural pollution.