A review of the production status, constraints, and opportunities in East African freshwater capture and culture fisheries

Demand for fish continued to grow worldwide while production from capture fisheries has decreased. In the Eastern African Region (EAR), the open-access nature of capture fisheries has resulted in illegal fishing. Within communities engaged in fishing, small-scale fisheries support food security strategies and sustain livelihoods. Despite the role of fisheries in EAR, inland fisheries are vulnerable to loss, and management solutions authorized for inland fisheries are inadequate. This review investigates production potential, challenges, opportunities, and management of inland fisheries in the EAR. It is therefore expected that in aquaculture promising areas, the EAR will turn to depend more on aquaculture to meet the extended needs and supply gaps created as a result of capture fisheries shortfalls. However, aquaculture is still in its infant stage in the region, and there exists no adequate aquaculture policy framework and funds in some EAR (e.g., Ethiopia, Somalia). Stakeholders at all levels should entertain the importance of fishery-based activities for food security in EAR. As a result, easily implemented and community-oriented fisheries legislative documents need to be prepared for advancing sustainable fisheries management. Legislative documents might consider techniques of continual catch statistics (consider small water bodies as much as possible) of inland fisheries and enforcing existing laws to manage illegal fishing activities to accustom sustainable development of inland capture fisheries.

Automated summary

The global demand for fish keeps increasing, but the production from capture fisheries is decreasing. In the Eastern African Region, open-access nature has led to illegal fishing activities. Although small-scale fisheries play a crucial role in food security and livelihoods, inland fisheries in the region face vulnerabilities and inadequate management solutions. This review examines the production potential, challenges, opportunities, and management of inland fisheries in the EAR. It is expected that aquaculture will become more important in meeting the growing demand due to shortfalls in capture fisheries.