Roundup: Tanzania in drive to replenish fish stock in Lake Tanganyika

Tanzania has embarked on a new project geared to replenish the dwindling fish stock in Lake Tanganyika -- the world's second deepest freshwater body, officials said Thursday.

Aquaculture experts have already landed on the lake shores in western Tanzania's district of Kalambo where they are planning to establish fish fingerling ponds.

Medadi Hosea, Tanzania's fisheries officer on the shores of Lake Tanganyika said that the move is meant to restore the lost glory of fish stock in the lake which has more than 200 fish species.

The official said that the project came after discovering that fish stock in the lake has declined in the lake, which is being shared by Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.

"This situation is bad. Some of the fishermen have abandoned fishing gears and ventured into other economic activities as fish has plummeted in number," said Hosea.

Julith Binyura, Kalambo district Commissioner said that 60 percent of population along Lake Tanganyika shores depends on fishing for their livelihood.

"That's why the government is putting much of its efforts in addressing the shocking situation."

Frank Schalos, Kalambo District's Administrative Secretary also called upon the youth to establish groups of entrepreneurship so that government can provide loans through the groups as it cannot lend money to individuals.

A new study finds that a decrease in fishery production in one of the largest freshwater lakes on Earth is a consequence of human-caused climate change rather than just overfishing.

The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used sediment cores from the bottom of Lake Tanganyika in southeast Africa to create a 1,500-year record of temperature in the lake, as well as a record of animal fossil abundances over time.

The study found that as the temperature in the lake increased -- with a substantial spike in the industrial period of the last 150 years -- the abundance of fossil fish, mollusks, and other organisms decreased. The decline in fish fossils began well before commercial fishing in the lake intensified in the mid-20th century, suggesting climate change is playing a substantial role in the lake's decreased production.

The findings suggest that the effects of climate-related ecological change should be taken into account when determining catch limits and other sustainable management measures. The study also raises concern about how other tropical freshwater lakes might be affected by warming climate.

Lake Tanganyika is the largest and oldest rift lake in Africa and one of the largest lakes on Earth.

At about 700 km long, 50 km wide and 1.5 km deep, it contains roughly 15 percent of all of the fresh water at the Earth's surface. It is also one of the most biologically diverse lakes on Earth. It holds over 300 species of fish, many of which are endemic to Lake Tanganyika, as well as hundreds of endemic species of snails, shrimp, crabs and other crustaceans. Endit