GONGA, J. 1 & K. GEHEB2

1Fisheries Resources Research Institute, P.O.Box, 343 Jinja, Uganda
2Lake Victoria Fisheries Research Project, P.O.Box, 2145 Jinja, Uganda

Co-management: The perceptions of Lake Victoria's fish processing industries in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania

Co-management is an increasingly discussed management option on Lake Victoria. With the lake's exports of Nile perch (Lates niloticus) worth several million dollars a year in foreign exchange currency, the role of industrial fish processing factories in any co-managerial arrangement would seem to be prudent.

This paper reports on the findings of a questionnaire-based study involving 21 of the lake's factories. The study sought to identify possible areas to which factories would be willing and able to contribute in a co-managerial structure for the control of the lake's fisheries.

Most of the fish factories in the region agreed to contribute positively towards certain managerial areas, including the sensitisation of other stake holders through seminars/workshops, closing for 2-3 months a year to allow stocks to recuperate, to support quota-based management and discourage the buying of undersized fish. Factories were also prepared to make financial contributions and be otherwise involved in other areas of management that the paper will also discuss.

The paper concludes that factories are cautiously interested in contributing to management, but will evaluate any such contribution against the value they perceive they get from their tax payments that can - particularly in Tanzania - be very high. The paper suggests that more favourable terms are needed if factories are to be fully committed to a management process.