Lake Kitangiri Tilapia Oreochromis amphimelas illegally caught from one of the breeding ground in the northern part of the lake.

Lake Kitangiri Tanzania is among saline lakes within Eastern Rift Valley. It is a biodiversity rich ecosystem whereas nine fish species including endemic but endangered Tilapia Oreochromis amphimelas support the livelihood of about 5600 people. Anthropogenic problems, however, are threatening the lake ecosystem leading to endangered status and declines of O. amphimelas populations. Consequently, this species was included in the IUCN (2006) red list of threatened species as endangered throughout its range. Therefore, human intervention is required to ensure species sustainability. To guarantee species improvement, community participation alongside governmental and non governmental organizations effort is required. Therefore, the following are the project objectives:

-To assess current social economic contribution to the environmental problems facing O. amphimelas and its ecosystem in Lake Kitangiri Tanzania.

-Provide environmental education, raise conservation awareness and mobilize social events towards community participation in the protection of O. amphimelas and its ecosystem in Lake Kitangiri Tanzania.

-To mobilize formation of conservation network for Village leadership (Village government leaders, Environmental Committee-VEC, beach management units-BMUs), natural resources officers, non governmental organizations (NGOs) and environmental journalists.

-To conduct training for building the capacity of village leadership and journalists in collaboration with natural resources officers and NGOs, to augment efforts toward conservation of O. amphimelas and its ecosystem in Lake Kitangiri Tanzania.

It is expected that the conservation education and awareness to the fishermen, students, BMUs and other residents will change community attitude and behaviour towards best practices leading to environmentally friendly fishing gears, increased fish size and abundance, improved feeding and breeding sites of O. amphimelas.