KAGERA: MINISTER for Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Bashiru Ally Kakurwa, has stressed the urgent need to protect the resources of Lake Victoria, the world’s second-largest freshwater lake, to safeguard the survival and livelihoods of over 47 million people across Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.
Speaking on Monday during a working tour in Kagera Region, where he visited the Nile Perch factory in Muleba District, Dr Kakurwa announced banned industries from engaging directly in fishing activities on the lake.
He noted that such practices deplete the lake’s resources and negatively impact small-scale fishermen who rely on it for their daily livelihoods.
“Encroachment on the 200-metre buffer zone by industries and farmers, along with the use of illegal nets that capture juvenile fish, continues to threaten our resources. Urgent joint action is needed to protect Lake Victoria for the survival and livelihoods of over 47 million people in the region,” Dr Kakurwa said.
The Minister highlighted the multiple roles of the lake, noting that it serves as a source of energy and a transport route, supplies water for domestic, industrial and agricultural use, supports ecosystems and the regional economy and helps cushion the adverse effects of climate change.
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Lake Victoria also hosts the world’s most productive freshwater fishery, yielding over 1.5 million metric tonnes of fish annually, valued at about 1.1 billion US dollars. It remains a key source of freshwater for domestic use, irrigation and industry across East Africa.
However, Dr Kakurwa warned that progressive degradation of wetlands, deforestation in the cross-border catchment, pollution from industries, untreated wastewater, agricultural runoff and over fishing are endangering the lake’s ecological balance.
Rapid urbanisation, population growth and increasing water demand linked to economic development are further accelerating the challenges.
In 2025, East African Community (EAC) member states renewed their commitment to the Protocol for Sustainable Development (PFSD), emphasising unified climate strategies and increased funding for conservation efforts.