The Uncertainity of Lake Victoria Fisheries

  The Uncertainty of Lake Victoria in Relation to Lake Superior-Canada
 
  Open Letter to Canadian Prime Minister
 
  Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper,
  Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa-CANADA
K1A 0A2
  Email: pm@pm.gc.ca

With due respect to conservation of our Natural Resources for the future generations and for the better part of the Healthy Ecosystem, I would profoundly join you hands in the efforts you have made to recognize the potentiality of nature.

It is going into the world history today that your government has seen beyond the limitation of politics to recognize the well being of its citizens and the globe. In giving special attention to recognize the viability and sustainability of Lake Superior for the days after tomorrow, this effort is worthwhile call. Hon. Stephen Harper, as you take the green leadership by accepting the values within an ecosystem such as this of the World Giant Freshwater lake through conservation of its resources having other stakeholders battled it out for so many decades and bring this into reality, we do join you in this ascendancy. It will also go into records that other nations whose natural ecosystem needs such recognition will follow suite. This reminds me of the second largest freshwater Lake in the World-Lake Victoria after Lake Superior which at some decades back had supported a much diversified native fish population with Haplochromines species forming the entire backbone of Lake Victoria Fisheries. It was realized that the population of the Haplochromines stood at over 300 species and following the introduction of alien species such as Lates Niloticus (Nile Perch) locally known as "Mbuta" in the late 1970's has made a dramatic change in fish population and density. Lake Victoria currently supports a population of 3 dominant species. In contrary, the Lates Niloticus was introduced into the Lake for economic gain but little efforts on its impact to the native species was never conducted to a larger extent. It is evident that the Lake Victoria is in the dying moments a fact that many have never realized to date even though chunks of financial support has come from the World Bank through regional organization-Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme (LVEMP), Lake Victoria Fisheries Research Organization (LVFO) and other reputable multi-lateral and bi-lateral development partners. Tremendous research efforts have been carried ever since but little or no impact has been felt.

Lake Victoria is considered a shared resource among the tripartite nationalities of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and also known as the main source of River Nile. The fishing villages/communities who would been subjected to direct benefit of the Lakes resources have become the poorest along the shoreline. Mr. Stephen Harper with your articulate objective to consider Lake Superior as it falls within the jurisdiction of International importance and World Heritage, we believe the communities and riparian States of East Africa will realize the need and change their way of thinking and reasoning capabilities to see beyond a millennium lifestyle. The Riparian East African Heads of States (Mr. Yoweri K. Musoveni of Uganda, Mr. Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and the outgoing Mr. Mwai Kibaki of Kenya) are just politicians as you are Mr. S. Harper, why then don't they join hands to seek your lasting words here as you (PM. Harper) did quote in respecting Canadian National Heritage.....

“Our government is taking action to preserve and protect Canada’s environment, including Lake Superior’s north shore, for future generations of Canadians to enjoy,” said Prime Minister Harper. “The creation of this area will benefit the local economy too, by boosting tourism and creating jobs.”

Mr. Harper I know that Lake Victoria is outside your political boundary, but due to the fact that Canada is a signatory to World Bank and represented within these East African States through a High Commissioner, that therefore qualifies positively Canadian having a stake within Lake Victoria, how then would you replicate similar modules used in Lake Superior to give Canada such an International gestures extended to this dying lake which lies underneath Equatorial line and second to Lake Superior among other world Freshwater bodies? It is very ironical Mr. Harper that the Nobel Peace winners for 2007 Mr. Alberta A. Gore Jr. and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) of which Kenya was a partner too in addition to the 2004 Prize Winner which Prof. Wangari Maathai of Kenya were politicians like you. Given your good start of what you have done to the worlds largest Freshwater Lake ( Lake Superior) in Canada and getting back to the many Projects and Programmes funded by your governments through line ministries within lake Victoria, I would request if you could send similar signals to these riparian East African Heads of States to join your long train on sustaining World's second largest freshwater lake- Lake Victoria before it reaches its death bed.

We all need to balance Environmental Protections with responsible economic activities by ensuring the protection of its key elements with regards to preserving local livelihoods. Lastly, the question that disturbs my mind most is who therefore owns the resources and who should be responsible in its sustainable management and who should be blamed for its deterioration?

To quote you Mr. Harper, you made it clear that; "Future generations will benefit from what we have accomplished today through this constructive collaboration among three levels of government, First Nations, stakeholders and community members.”........

Thanks again for your attributes towards the creation of Canada’s newest National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) of which more than 10,000 Km2 of Lake Superior, including the lakebed, islands and north shorelands within the NMCA boundaries, will become the largest freshwater marine protected area in the world.

Kind Regards

John Vorster