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Abstract: The past subsistence of the Lake Victoria fishery was dominated by rich, diverse haplochromine cichlids. This multispecies fishery has undergone a decline over the past four decades, evolving into a commercial fishery consisting mainly of Nile perch (Lates niloticus), Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea species). To better understand Lake Victoria fisheries, studies dating as far back as the 1920s have been carried out to assess the status of the fish stocks. These past studies indicated the lake fisheries were declining because of numerous major challenges, including intense fishing, invasive species, loss of biodiversity, ecological alterations, climate change, inadequate information to inform management and unharmonized policies. Numerous policies and regulations have been developed and implemented over the years to address these issues and manage the fisheries sustainably. Most of the interventions have been sectorial, disjointed and unharmonized and have not reduced the declining fish catch rates. With reestablishment of the East Africa Community (EAC) with several institutions in 1994, the Lake Victoria riparian states initiated an ecosystem approach to manage the Lake Victoria fishery resources in a sustainable manner. This study reviews the development of the Lake Victoria fisheries, outlines major past and present management challenges and provides a set of new strategies to manage the lake's fisheries resources, with emphasis on an ecosystem approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the efficacy of community-level fishery co-management organizations called Beach Management Units ( BMUs) along the Kenyan shores of Lake Victoria. BMUs were established to enhance sustainable Lake Victoria fishery management through increasing the level of community participation to assist in the administration of fisheries rules and regulations by, and for, the fishers. Inefficiencies have emerged, however, inhibiting the effective execution of sustainable fisheries management by the BMUs. Data were collected from 36 BMUs along the Kenyan shores of Lake Victoria. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS Version 20.0. The results indicated that BMUs are successful at educating fishers and that they are aware of fishing rules and regulations. Nevertheless, high violation rates were also observed, suggesting BMUs have limited impact on fisher decisions to comply with regulations. Data suggest that the failure to comply may be due to lack of adequate financial and equipment resources for monitoring, control and surveillance ( MCS) operations, making them unable to control illegal fishing in their areas of jurisdiction. Furthermore, financial mechanisms, which would allow BMUs to sustainably fund their administrative and MCS operations, are weak, thereby reducing the BMUs ability to effectively function. The data from this study highlight two activities illustrating significant indices of good performance, namely resolving disputes and receiving visitors. The data also suggest the creation of BMUs has not ensured successful implementation of co-management of Lake Victoria fisheries. BMUs are successful at activities of a social nature, but have poorly undertaken their core functions related to enforcement and compliance with fishing rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]