|
|
|
|
*Lake Victoria was 'discovered' in 1858 by the British explorer John Speke, after months of braving dense forests and tropical diseases in his search for the source of the Nile.
The lake is the largest in Africa and the 2nd largest in the World.
But now The Lake is currently in poor health, and the livelihood of the communities that surround it are threatened.  **The
recent history of Lake Victoria is one of dramatic change in limnological
parameters and native fishery stocks from late 1960s to present. Over
fishing, exotic species introductions, deleterious land use practices, and
pollution from various sources all contributed to the oxygen depletion and
mass extinction of indigenous fishes now taking place. The question is an
urgent one for scientists, policymakers, and development organizations
worldwide. The current export boom from the lake shallow (less than 80 meters
at its deepest), murky, and oxygen-depleted waters has come at enormous
ecological and social cost. The price includes a massive loss of native
species, partially caused by the introduced perch, and the increasing
conversion of the fishery to an export commodity rather than local protein
source. Hence, Lake Victoria is in danger of becoming the world's largest pool
of dead water. Already half it's native fish are extinct, and the 30 million
people who eke out a living from it's troubled waters are facing calamity.* People and the Planet |
