LVFO’s Dr. Robert Kayanda presents Lake Victoria fisheries research at the 2026 IAGLR Conference in Canada
Dr. Robert Kayanda, Director of Fisheries Resource Monitoring and Research at the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO), carried Lake Victoria’s fisheries science to a global freshwater research audience in Winnipeg, Manitoba — showcasing both the lake’s mounting pressures and a science-based path forward.
Dr. Kayanda attended the 2026 Joint Conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) and the Society of Canadian Aquatic Sciences (SCAS–SCSA), held May 25–29, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, under the theme “Connected Waters: Bridging Communities & Ideas,” and hosted by the IISD Experimental Lakes Area. The conference ran as a hybrid in-person and online event, with Dr. Kayanda attending in person with support from ACARE.
Lake Victoria fish stocks under pressure
Dr. Kayanda presented “Lake Victoria Fish Stocks Under Pressure: Linking Science with Management.” He highlighted that Lake Victoria supports one of the world’s largest inland fisheries, but its stocks face escalating pressure from rising fishing effort, illegal gears, and habitat degradation — driving down catches and biomass of Nile perch, Nile tilapia, and the cyprinid dagaa/omena/mukene, with factory closures and lost livelihoods following. Kayanda and colleagues synthesize hydroacoustic surveys, catch-and-effort records, and limnological data into an integrated, science-based management framework: biological reference points and decision rules, stronger monitoring and surveillance to curb illegal fishing, expanded co-management, and ecosystem measures protecting breeding and nursery areas.
Dr. Robert Kayanda presenting Lake Victoria’s fisheries research at the 2026 IAGLR Joint Conference in Winnipeg, Canada.
