Towards Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management in the Lake Edward System: A Reappraisal of the Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystem Status

For sustaining benefits from freshwater fisheries, priority requirements are improved knowledge and effective management tools. These requirements emanate from the fact that many of the freshwater fisheries lack standard monitoring and assessment and as a result, management occurs without or with unreliable tools.

This project will aggregate knowledge of aquatic ecosystems in the Lake Edward system in East Africa, conduct complete stock assessments for lakes Edward and George, and build ecosystem models for the two lakes.

The project will advance our knowledge of freshwater ecosystem and impacts of fishing in the system. For the first time, fisheries management reference points will be established as basis for more effective management tools to support sustainable use and rebuilding of fisheries.

The project is part of a bigger project, “FISHBASE for AFRICA: data dissemination, capacity building and fisheries” which aims at contributing to conservation of aquatic biodiversity in Africa through advancing knowledge on fish and fisheries.