Rapid assessment of the fish biodiversity of the Mburo-Nakivali wetland systems and Opeta-Bisina wetland systems, Uganda

There are 46 different fish species in the Lake Kyoga basin with some of them endemic. The NilePerch (Lates niloticus) was introduced into the main Lake Kyoga, Nakuwa and Bisina in the late1950s to increase the fish production. The Nile Perch profileration in lakes Kyoga and Nakuwa ledto the almost complete elimination of many native fish species such as Orechromis esculentus andvariabilis, Mormyrus kanumme, Schilbe mystus and several Haplochromines species.Lakes Mburo, Kachera, Nakivali and Kijjanebalora are part of the complex system of lakes separatedfrom Lake Victoria by extended swamps known as the Koki lakes, some of the satellite lakes in theLake Victoria basin. The fisheries of these lakes are important as they contribute to governmentefforts of increasing food security, poverty reduction and conservation of natural resource base.These lakes are important biodiversity areas because some of these lakes have been found tocontain the native tilapiine Oreochromis esculentus (Ngege), absent or threatened with extinctionin the main Lakes Victoria and Kyoga. It’s also important to note that this species is only unique tothe Victoria and Kyoga lake basins (Graham, 1929, Worthington, 1929). The values of some of theselake fisheries are however, threatened by human activities such as over exploitation, introductionof exotics especially water hyacinth that is already present in River Rwizi and habitat degradationamong others.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Mbabazi, D.
Other Authors:	Odull, Michael Opige
Format:	book_section biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Nature Uganda 2009
Subjects:	Ecology, Fisheries,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/1834/35578
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