Knowledge and experiences gained from managing Lake Victoria ecosystem

Abstract

Lake Victoria is considered one of the most important shared natural resource of Eastern Africa. The Lake Basin supports about 30 million people one million of whom are employed formally or informally in fish related activities. The fishery of Lake Victoria is a major source of income to the fishing communities, Government tax revenue and protein for the local communities. Lake wide fish production is estimated at about 600 metric tones annually with Tanzania landing 40%, Kenya 35% and Uganda 25%. In recent years the Lake has become an important source of export earnings for the riparian countries through the Nile Perch Fishery – the largest inland fishery in the World. The Lake Basin is a rich agricultural area and is of global significance in view of the biodiversity of its flora and fauna particularly the fishes endemic to Lake Victoria and has a great potential for tourism. The Lake is a source of water for agricultural, household and industrial use, wastewater disposal and hydroelectric power. Lake Victoria is the source of River Nile, an important asset for all countries within the Nile Basin. The waters originating from the Lake provide hydropower through its only outlet at Owen Falls in Uganda and other power plants lower down the river in Sudan and Egypt. Based on the socio-economic importance of the Lake Basin, the three East African Community (EAC) Partner States have declared the Lake Victoria Basin an Economic Growth Zone.