The Council of Ministers of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) held its 2nd Emergency Session in Nairobi, Kenya on 6th November 2009. The Council was attended by Honourable Hope Mwesigye (MP), Chairperson of the Council and Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries , Republic of Uganda; Hon. Dr. Paul Nyongesa Otuoma (MP), Vice-Chairperson of the Council and Minister of Fisheries Develepment, Republic of Kenya; Hon. John Pombe Magufuli (MP), Member of the Council and Minister of Livestock Development and Fisheries, United Republic of Tanzania and Hon. Fred Mukisa (MP), Minister of State for Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries of the Republic of Uganda. The meeting was also attended by Members of LVFO Policy Steering Committee and LVFO Executive Committee, Representatives of Lake Victoria Basin Commision (LVBC), the Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA), the European Union (EU), the Regional Authorizing Officer (RAO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the East African Industrial Fishing and Fish Processors Association (EAIFFPA), the National Chairpersons of Beach Management Units (BMUs)in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the LVFO Secretariat and other Stakeholders, were in attendance.
The Council of Ministers:
1. Reviewed the progress in the implementation of the measures approved in the 7th Regular Session of the LVFO Council of Ministers held in February 2009 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, aimed at eradicating illegal fishing and illegal trade in immature Nile perch in local and regional markets;
2. Recalled that Nile perch stocks have declined from a biomass of 1,200,00 tonnes in 2000 to 331,000 tonnes in 2009 and have noted that the illegalities have seriously threatened the Nile perch fishery;
3. Recalled that the Council set a target to reduce the illegalities by 50% by June and 100% by December 2009 using the 2008 Frame Survey data as the benchmark;
4. Recognized that the Partner States developed and are implementing a Harmonized Action Plan to reduce illegalities;
5. Noted that the enforcement conducted by the Competent Authorities and Beach Management Units (BMUs) revealed widespread illegalities and that illegal gears were being replaced quickly following confiscation;
6. Regretted that the efforts so far undertaken have not significantly changed the status of the illegalities and the Partner states cannot meet the target or removing illegalities to zero by December 2009 and that the Nile perch biomass in Lake Victoria remains seriously threatened;
7. Directed follow-on special session of the Council will be held in February 2010 in Uganda to consider other emerging issues regarding the fisheries of Lake Victoria;
8. Approved funding US $1.8 million (US$ 600,000 to be contributed by each Partner State) for emergency actions of ‘Operation Save Nile Perch’ to clean-up illegalities by January 2010 and to reverse the drastic decline of Nile perch biomass in Lake Victoria.
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