Advances in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management

Advances in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management ISSN 2756-3278 Vol. 11 (3), pp. 001-004, March, 2023. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Econometric analysis of the effects of water hyacinth on the fish catches in Lake Victoria, East Africa

Ngeno Vincent*, E. K. Ngeno, B. K. Langat and M. J. Kipsat

Department of Agricultural Economics and Resource Management, Moi University, Kenya.

Accepted 9 January, 2023

Abstract

Lake Victoria is Africa’s most important source of inland fishery production. The lake serves as a source of human food and raw material for the fishmeal industry. Several challenges face the lake fishery, including the invasion of water hyacinth. This paper analyses the effects of the invasion of water hyacinth on fishing in Lake Victoria. A static catch per unit of effort functions were estimated using Schaefer models for Lake Victoria fisheries. The investigation on the trend in the lake’s stock during the period 1985 - 2005 focused particularly on the effect of the water hyacinth on fish stocks and fish catches coefficients. The results shows that the fish catch declined due to the growing abundance of water hyacinths. The impact of the hyacinth on the fish catch was greatest in the Kenya section of Lake Victoria.

Key words: Water hyacinth, fish catch, Schaefer model, Lake Victoria, East Africa.