Ugandans warned against eating dead fish floating on Lake Victoria

Tons upon tons of dead fish are floating on Lake Victoria. Although the cause is not yet established, possibilities include pollution and increasing algae which tends to suffocate the fish by using up the oxygen in the water.

Jackson Baguma the Kalangala District Fisheries Officer says the floating dead fish are allegedly resulting from poison. A lot of the dead fish can be seen floating over  Bugonga Bay in Entebbe. 

The route cause of dead floating fish is not yet identified and curiously, it is only in one type which dying – the Nile Patch (Empuuta). 

Baguma says, besides poison, the cause can also result from rotting weeds which affect water quality especially water hyacinth because it uses oxygen in the process of decaying.

The best way to determine what could be happening to the dead fish is subjecting them to laboratory tests. 

Meanwhile, the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) has embarked on testing and research on the main cause of the mass deaths, but results are not yet out. 

“Dead fish is floating in many parts of the lake especially at Bugonga bay and surrounding areas,” Baguma says.  “Incidentally we have not experienced it yet in Kalangala. However, anything can happen any time  since we share the same water body.”

Fishermen on Lake Victoria have been seen picking the dead floating fish for sauce in their homes sauce without first determining the route cause of their death. 

Baguma said they should wait until NaFFIRI identifies whether it is poison or rising temperatures in Lake Victoria waters before they pick the fish. 

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