Background

The fisheries of Lake Victoria generate substantial income and revenue, but much of this is taken out of the fisheries and very little is reinvested by governments and communities. LVFO is working to increase the amount kept within fisheries and reinvested for effective management and development. There are a variety of sources of revenue within fisheries, captured at different levels along the chain, mostly by government, but also by BMUs and private contractors who collect tax on behalf of local government

Sources of revenue

Sources of revenue from fisheries include

1. Fish levy trust, which is in place in Tanzania and planned in Kenya and Uganda, generating income from the export of fish, some of which is kept by the Fisheries Division.
2. Licensing of canoes, fishers and traders.
3. Fish Movement Permits.
4. Market fees.
5. Landing fees and fees for collector trucks parking at landing sites.

In Tanzania, the fisheries sector is almost self-financing through the establishment of a Fisheries’ Retention Scheme deriving revenue from fish levies and royalties on fish exports from Lake Victoria (Nile perch) and marine waters. Kenya and Uganda are in the process of establishing more autonomous national Fisheries Authorities (Kenya Fisheries Development Board and Uganda Fisheries Authority) with powers to retain revenue generated by fisheries and use to fund fisheries activities.

In addition, the recently reformed BMUs have revenue generating powers bestowed on them by the regional and national BMU guidelines and national legislation. Increasingly, funds will be harnessed through the BMUs for greater reinvestment into fisheries management.

Building financial sustainability

LVFO aims to build the financial sustainability of fisheries management, so that a substantial amount of the money generated from fisheries is reinvested into management at all levels. Funding is essential to support the institutional structures now in place for fisheries co-management and to agree and implement measures to continually improve the management of the fisheries.