Conflict over Transboundary Fishery on Lake Victoria and its Management.

The Nile perch fishery on Lake Victoria has become a highly demanded commodity because of its commercial value at the international market. The increased demand and declining fish stock of the Nile perch fish has led to conflicts or disagreements (starting 2001) about access to and/or control of better fishing grounds. The conflicts arise among fishers in the course of their interaction on the fishing grounds and between fishers and the law enforcement authorities as they try to control fishers movements across-border as they look for better fishing grounds and markets in disregard to the laid down rules and regulation of the respective countries. The paper explains the reasons behind conflicts over transboundary fishery on Lake Victoria as well as a long-term strategy being initiated to address them. It demonstrates that capacity building at the local level through the regional institutional framework on Lake Victoria is the best approach to address challenges arising from a dynamic transboundary fishery. It presents the experience of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) and IUCN - The World Conservation Union in understanding and managing the conflict over transboundary fishery on Lake Victoria.