The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The authorities in Uganda have confirmed the death of Nile Perch was due to low oxygen in water.
According to Pius Wakabi, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), the reduction of oxygen levels in the waters of Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and River Nile was caused by heavy winds and decomposition of sunken plant matter in the waters.
He says the winds mixed up shallow and mid-level water with that under the beds that contains low oxygen leading to deaths of Nile Perch fish in Uganda.
The research and findings were conducted at three research laboratories, the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI), Government Analytical Laboratory and the National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC).
The findings show that between September 2020 and January 2021, the weather patterns changed due to heavy winds and rainstorms. This affected parts of the Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and River Nile in the districts of Kayunga, Nakasongola, Wakiso, Kampala and Entebbe.
This led to mixing of water with low oxygen levels and that with high levels, but also led to the migration of floating vegetation on the water bodies, some of which rotted after drowning in the water and reducing oxygen in the water. The low oxygen levels led to largely deaths of young Nile perch weighing between 15 to 20 kilograms. The heaviest casualty weighing 100 kilograms was found in Kayunga district.
According to preliminary investigations from the MAAIF, fish poisoning by pesticides, algae, less absorption of oxygen by the fish through the gills and other toxins have been ruled out.
Elias Muhumuza, a senior aquatic researcher at NaFIRRI says Nile Perch needs at least three milligrams (3mg) of oxygen per litre of water to survive. The laboratory research findings indicated 0.12 mg per litre of water from samples taken from Kasenyi, Kigungu, Bugonga landing sites and behind Wagagai flowers. These are landing sites that witnessed most deaths of Nile Perch in Uganda.
He says Nile perch is more sensitive to oxygen unlike other fish species and that is why it died most.
Dr. Anthony Tabu Munyaho, Deputy Director at the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) says similar deaths of Nile perch have been witnessed before in Kisumu – Kenya and Mwanza in Tanzania between 2017 and 2019.
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