TANZANIA – Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second-largest lake by volume, is facing a significant decline in fish production, dropping by 18 percent over the past four years.
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, along with overfishing and the impacts of climate change, have been identified as the primary factors contributing to this decline.
Lake Tanganyika, renowned for its remarkable biodiversity, harbours 214 species of native fish, 176 of which are endemic.
According to Mr. Ambakisye Simtoe, the Chief Fisheries Officer at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, fish production in Lake Tanganyika decreased from 104,178 tonnes in 2020 to 85,180 tonnes in the previous year.
A survey conducted by the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) in 2022 revealed that the population of ‘migebuka’ and sardines in Lake Tanganyika has decreased by 8.0 percent compared to 1995, from 157,493 tonnes to 144,690 tonnes.
Furthermore, the Katavi region has experienced a significant drop in fish harvests, plummeting 45 percent from 25,895 tonnes in 2020 to 14,335 tonnes last year.
In response to these challenges, the government has taken decisive action by suspending fishing activities in Lake Tanganyika for three months.
This suspension, announced by Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Mr Alexander Mnyeti, aims to enhance fish reproduction, combat illegal fishing, mitigate environmental degradation, and ultimately boost productivity among fishing communities.
Tanzania and its neighbouring countries, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zambia, collectively decided to suspend fishing activities.
Gabriel Butoyi, president of Burundi’s National Fish Federation, explains that the biggest culprit, overfishing, is largely due to the illegal use of monofilament nets.
“These nets are extremely harmful because of their minute mesh size. They don’t allow juvenile fish to pass through, so the population can’t reproduce. In a short period of time, the entire fish population can be decimated,” he explained.
According to Vincent Bihimvyumuderi, Project Officer at SPARK, a Dutch international non-governmental organization (NGO), around 20,000 fishermen are operating in Burundi, and the number is increasing.
“On the [Democratic Republic of] Congo side of the lake, they don’t have a lot of infrastructure like drying trays and freezing systems, so the Congolese fishermen prefer to come to Burundi. They come and fish in Burundian waters to access the Bujumbura market and the infrastructure. This is partly why we have overfishing here,” he added.
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