Photo Essay: Africa’s largest lake and the communities that depend on it
How a fish shortage is devastating Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria — Africa’s largest lake — is shared by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Thirty-five million people depend on the second largest freshwater lake in the world for their livelihood and survival. But today, a unique set of challenges is damaging Lake Victoria’s ecosystem: overfishing, pollution and climate change.
Just before the sun sets, twin brothers Kennedy and Charles Omondi, pictured here, toss their final net for the night. They are fishing for Nile perch, a valuable species that’s popular for export to Europe. The Omondi brothers are only two of the millions who depend on the lake for survival. But in recent years, they have had to work twice as hard for the same catch because the size and number of Nile perch have fallen dramatically.
George Onguta, another fisherman, arrives to bring supplies to Kennedy and George. They will spend the night under a tarp as a heavy storm rolls in.
Below, the town of Sori, Kenya, lies along the shores of Lake Victoria. Fishermen lay out nets strewn with drying fish while traders set up shop under umbrellas to sell their catch. Overfishing, pollution and climate change have significantly reduced the lake’s fish stock, leaving many struggling to make a living.
At the fresh fish market in Kisumu, Kenya, about 100 traders sell to the surrounding community. As the number of fish in the lake decreases and prices for fish increase — by about 10 to 20 times in the last decade, traders say — it’s becoming harder for traders to earn a living. Now, an influx of cheaper Chinese fish is being sold throughout the market at half the price of fish from Lake Victoria, endangering local fishermen.
A fish trader waits for customers at the market in Kisumu. Since the lake’s fish stock has started to decrease, some traders are illegally selling smaller, younger fish in order to make a living. Killing younger fish hurts the future fish population because there will be less adults to breed.
Annie Ouma, a fish trader in Nyamware Beach, Kenya, is part of a program called No Sex for Fish. It’s common practice for fishermen to trade fish for sex, which has led to very high rates of HIV/AIDS among fishing communities in the region — about 30 percent, compared to the national average of 7.5 percent. The project brings together women who then purchase their own fishing boats so they can manage and control the fish production.
Caroline Auma Owinyo, 42, left, has been working at the market for over a decade. She sometimes goes for days without a supply of fish, forcing her to buy from others at higher prices.
Mary, 51, a fish trader for 20 years, had to pick up a second job cleaning the local bus station last year because she’s not making enough money selling fish. Her contract for the job ends this year and she’ll need to find new work to support her six children. “I don’t know what I’ll do,” she says.
Syprose Ndong’a prepares tilapia in the restaurant she manages, Kisumu Restaurant Baraka, which is located along the shores of Lake Victoria in Kisumu. She says that the rising price of fish — from about $0.10 to $1.50 per tilapia in the last 10 years — has hurt her business and caused many other businesses to close down.
Edwin Muthike, 26, is the manager of Pioneer Fish Farm in Lela, Kenya. His farm is part of a burgeoning aquaculture industry along the shores of Lake Victoria. As the fish stock from the lake decreases, alternative forms of employment like fish farming are gaining traction. There’s an ongoing debate over whether farm fish taste as good as lake fish. Everyone has a different opinion, so it’s not surprising that Edwin says, “I actually think farm fish are more tasty.”
Sylvanus Obunaka walks along the edge of his fish farm in Luanda, Kenya. He has been harvesting fish for the past nine years. NGOs like Farm Africa provide instruction and inputs to small and large scale farmers like Sylvanus.
Ivan Otieno, 25, rests during his shift washing vehicles in Lake Victoria. While the practice certainly doesn’t pollute the waters as much as sewage runoff or industrial waste, researchers say the oil and gas leakage from cleaning these vehicles harms the lake ecosystem.
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