Dwindling fish in Lake Kivu blamed on illegal fishing gear

There is a decline in fish stocks from Lake Kivu compared to previous years, fishermen have disclosed. They attributed the reduction to illegal fishing and over fishing on the lake.Some fishermen still use illegal fishing gear, and varieties of fish planted in the lake have not increased for a long time, one fisherman said.Musa Semajeri, the president of Cooperative des pêcheurs du Lac Kivu (COPELAK), said: “Many fishermen are fighting in the same lake which has very few stocks. There is also a big problem of illegal fishing nets used to catch immature fish.” Semajeri said before the year 2000, the production was between 25-28 tonnes per month, but it dropped to 15,0 00 tonnes in 2010. He said it now ranges between eight and nine tonnes per month. Semajeri said the shortage of fish has led to increased fish prices in the market.Sarah Mushimiyimana, a fish seller at Rubavu market, said the price of fish has more than doubled in the recent past.She said she used to sell silver fish at Rwf500 a kilogramme but now sells it at Rwf2,000.The price of other fish types such as tilapia, according to Mushimiyimana, has also gone up.“We are now selling more imported fish from Uganda, Burundi and DRC and the price has gone up due to the shortage,” Mushimiyimana said.Theophile Nyandwi, the president of the Fishers Associations in Rwanda, acknowledged that fish stocks have dwindled in the lake, but said it would increase with more professional fishing methods.He said fish cooperatives are working hard with local leaders to curb illegal fishing on the lake.Lake Kivu is shared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There over 4,000 members of cooperatives involved in fishing in the Lake.Dr Wilson Rutaganira, the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) aquaculture and fisheries programme coordinator, told The New Times that illegal fishing was the main cause of the decline of fish stocks in the lake. He urged cooperatives and local leaders to join hands to minimise the vice. Rutaganira said Rwanda is closely working with DRC on measures to halt illegal fishing.He also advised fishermen to adopt commercial fish farming and cage fish farming locally known as ‘Kareremba.’The technique involves cages of varying sizes which are floated on a water body. The cages contain and protect fish until they can be harvested.

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Dwindling fish in Lake Kivu blamed on illegal fishing gear