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Determinants of Nile perch (Lates niloticus) overfishing and its intensity in Lake Victoria, Tanzania: a double-hurdle model approach

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Abstract

The current fishing pressure in Lake Victoria, Tanzania indicates that the Nile perch (Lates niloticus) is overfished and no regulations are enforced to maintain a sustainable fishery despite its significant contribution to the economy. This study examines the determinants of Nile perch overfishing and its intensity in Lake Victoria, Tanzania, using a double-hurdle model that is based on baseline survey data collected from 268 Nile perch fishers. The model analysed the data in two sequential hurdles, the first hurdle being whether or not a Nile perch fisher overfished (probability of overfishing), and the second hurdle being the difference between the actual average catch size and the minimum slot size of 50 cm total length (TL) (intensity of overfishing). The study revealed that different socio-economic, institutional and fishing effort influence Nile perch overfishing and its intensity in Lake Victoria, Tanzania. This, therefore, suggests that, to attain a balance between sustainable fishery management and the livelihood for Nile perch fishers in Lake Victoria, there is a need for the government to design policies that will consider the dynamics of the institutional setup and fishing effort in this lake.

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Notes

  1. BMU (Beach Management Unit) is as an organisation of fishing folks at the beach (boat crew, boat owners, managers, charterers, fish processors, fish mongers, local gear makers or repairers and fishing equipment dealers) within a fishing community’ (LVFO, 2007). The main function of BMUs is to engage in the co-management of fishery resources in Lake Victoria (Obiero et al., 2015).

  2. Fishers are normally weighing the fish catch because the fish price is paid per kilogram.

  3. Monofilament is a fishing line made from a single fibre of plastic, unlike other multifilament lines which are threaded from multiple strands that are fused, braided or bundled together. Monofilament lines are strong, flexible and transparent in the water and user-friendly for big and small fish. As observed from the Baseline Survey, one single line can carry 400 hooks at the most.

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Acknowledgements

Mzumbe University of Tanzania is acknowledged for supporting data collection of this study. Thanks are also conveyed to Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) for providing the administrative logistics and permits, and to the fishers and key informants who participated in the survey.

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  1. Discipline of Agricultural Economics, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

    Eliaza Mkuna & Lloyd J. S. Baiyegunhi

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  1. Eliaza Mkuna
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Mkuna, E., Baiyegunhi, L.J.S. Determinants of Nile perch (Lates niloticus) overfishing and its intensity in Lake Victoria, Tanzania: a double-hurdle model approach. Hydrobiologia 835, 101–115 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-019-3932-9

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