Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

From now onward fishermen in Lake Victoria will son be required to pay a small fees towards the Fisheries Management Project should plans by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania go through.

In a sign document reportedly still in the drawing board, but already signed, all East African Community member countries are to ensure that the landing site use fee is legislated as a funding mechanism for the Beach Management Unit.

The document signed by Ugandan Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Hoppe Mwesigye, then Kenya’s Fisheries Minister Dr. Nyongesa Otuoma {now shuffled to Sports Slot}, and Tanzania’s High Commissioner to Uganda Rajabu Gamaha requires the member countries to starts implementation immediately.

The European Union {EU} is a major partner of the Lake Victoria Basin states and has a long histor6y of support to the quality control, research, development of the fisheries resources of Lake Victoria.

Head of the national resources section at the EU delegation in Tanzania Anne-Claire Leon confirmed that the EU has pulled out from funding beach and fisheries management around Lake Victoria beginning August 31, 2010 after seven years of support. out of which USD 6.7 million was used for beach management units formation and support.

The overall objective of the project was the sustainable economic growth and development of the Lake Victoria Basin. The program was managed by the EU delegation in Uganda.

Prior to the fisheries management project, the EU injected USD 12.7 million into phase 1 and phase 11 of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Research Program that ran from 1996 to 2002.

The East African Community is also asking its member countries to increase contributions to the regional fisheries kitty managed by the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization in Uganda.

Currently every country provides between USD 120,000 and USD 320,000.In addition, the Council of Ministers is looking at the possibility of setting up a fish levy trust to help in the implementation of program.

Among the challenges lake faces are the deteriorating water quality, overfishing and use of illegal harvesting methods.

The Nile perch is of great commercial significance as evidence by inland fisheries contribution of between two to 12 per cent to GDP in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com