Status and targets for rebuilding the three major fish stocks in Lake Victoria

We determined fisheries management reference points for three major fish stocks in Lake Victoria (Nile tilapia, Nile perch and Dagaa) for Uganda and the whole lake. The aim was to ascertain stock status and define reasonable objectives and targets for rebuilding to sustainable levels. Dagaa was found to be healthy in Uganda and the whole lake but tending to overfished status. In Uganda, the stock status of Nile tilapia and Nile perch was recruitment impaired but tending more towards collapsed and overfished status respectively. In the whole lake, the stock status of Nile tilapia and Nile perch was collapsed and overfished respectively with the latter tending more towards recruitment impaired. Estimates of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) showed that catches could be increased under good management. Rebuilding the Nile tilapia and Nile perch stock biomasses to MSY level (Bmsy) could respectively increase the catches above the current level by 9.2% and 29.5% in Uganda and by 72.8% and 15.1% in the whole lake. The immediate objective for fisheries management should be to rebuild biomass for the Nile tilapia and Nile perch stocks to Bmsy. Elimination of illegal fishing practices has proved to be effective. In addition, management needs to keep catches at low levels until biomass for the stocks is [≥]Bmsy for at least three consecutive years.