Writes Leo Odera Omolo

POOR management of the resources coupled with over-fishing, industrial pollution and the of Lake Victoria and its resources.

And now the residents of the region and the communities living along the shorelines of the lake as well as scientists and researchers have raised red flag over the reported rapid depletion of fish stock.

The fisheries ministry officials, especially the fish scouts and officials charged with the responsibilities of ensuring the orderly fishing stand to be blamed for not implementing the government policy to he letter.

Corruption is also cited when it comes to the issues involving fishermen’s using an unauthorized fishing net that kills immature fish.

The scientists and researchers have so far predicted that unless all these malpractices stopped, the lake could be depleted of all fish species in 30 years time, if the environmental degradation was not adequately addressed.

A damning study report recently released by the Lake Victoria Management Programme has revealed that production of the stock of the economically prized Nile Perch went down by 750,000 tones from 2005 to only 232,000tones in 2008.At the same time tilapia number dropped from 27,061 tones to 24,811tone during the same period of time.

“The fish industry sub-sector o the national economy which earns Kshs 7 billion annually in foreign exchange is now said to be set to record reduced revenue as a result,” says the report.

At the same time a researcher from a Swedish University has said that the number of fish species in Lake Victoria had dropped significantly from more than 400 at the turn of the twentieth century to only 192 a the turn of 21st century.

“The situation is alarming because over-fishing environmental degradation and pollution is still at the peak. Due to many industries up stream discharging pollutant material to the lake..

The scarcity of fish and acute supplies has I the recent past sent the prices of the commodity skyrocketing.

Ends