From Choice to Catch: Effort allocation drivers and Strategies of Nile perch fishers in Lake Victoria

Summary

The global concern for ecological sustainability in fisheries demands a comprehensive understanding of factors impacting fishing practices. This research focuses on the Nile perch fishery in Lake Victoria, which is vital to the economies of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Environmental variations, such as hypoxia and food availability, affect Nile perch distribution, leading to significant daily catch variability for fishers. In response, fishers employ a bet-hedging strategy using nets with different mesh sizes in their daily fishing choices. The study investigates how fishing pressure and environmental factors interact to shape Nile perch size structure and distribution in Lake Victoria, Tanzania. Its goal is to determine how the fishery and ecological factors, such as eutrophication, influence Nile perch stock's size structure. Understanding these dynamics is critical for ecological sustainability in fisheries. By examining fishing practices in their interaction with ecolosystems, this research contributes to the global effort to promote sustainable fisheries management.