Setting Minnow fish trap during fish biodiversity assesments.

The health of aquatic ecosystems as well as their biodiversity is linked to human activities. Human developments in proximity to fish habitats are directly linked to the problems causing habitat loss and degradation. Habitat loss and water quality deterioration, often associated with agricultural production and growing human populations, result in harmful algal blooms, anoxic waters, fish kills, and significant loss of aquatic vegetation affecting the health of the fish populations. Therefore, there is a need to embrace fish habitat protection in conservation and management plans. Lake Bunyonyi is a chief conservation area providing home for Uganda’s famous cichlids and other biological resources. It is also a source of livelihoods for neighbouring local communities supporting over 500 households excluding cultural, private and public sector institutions. However, Lake Bunyonyi has not been given due attention by responsible management authorities in conserving its biological resources. As such, there is a need to generate data for special management of this socio-culturally rich and ecologically sensitive area. This project therefore attempts to document the fisheries biodiversity of Lake Bunyonyi and how its catchment has been shrinking over time, due to human activities, in an initiative to raise awareness and advocate for its protection. Specifically the project will:

I. assess the diversity, abundance and distribution of fish species in Lake Bunyonyi as well as some of their biological aspects;

II. map fish breeding areas and the extent of the lake’s catchment degradation; and

III. evaluate physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of Lake Bunyonyi.

The information generated by this study will be used as a planning tool for the long-term conservation of fisheries biodiversity of Lake Bunyonyi and surrounding wetlands. In particular, local communities will be encouraged, through sensitization and awareness creation meetings, to adopt practices that are not detrimental to fish habitats by embracing the fisheries biodiversity and community based monitoring mechanism to be established by this project.