IN SUMMARY

  • This coupled with a ban on fishing in Lake Kivu threatens the livelihood of close to over 500,000 people who survive on fishing both in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • The predator — a tri-coloured fish with yellow, blue and green stripes like the Rwandan flag commonly known as Rwanda Rushya — is a species in Lake Kivu which feeds on young sardines (sambaza). 

Sardines, the most traded fish from Lake Kivu is facing extinction following emergence of a predator in the water bodyshared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This coupled with a ban on fishing in Lake Kivu threatens the livelihood of close to over 500,000 people who survive on fishing both in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The predator — a tri-coloured fish with yellow, blue and green stripes like the Rwandan flag commonly known as Rwanda Rushya — is a species in Lake Kivu which feeds on young sardines (sambaza).

The lake supports communities in Bukavu, Kabare, Kalehe, Sake and Goma in DRC and Rubavu, Karongi and Rusizi in Rwanda.

The Rwanda Rushya eats fingerlings according to Dr Wilson Rutaganira, co-ordinator of aquaculture and fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

However, Dr Rutaganira said the government will first commission a research to find out breeding habits of the predator to pave the way for intervention measures.

Reports of the predator came in the wake of biting fish shortage in local market after government imposed a two-month ban on fishing in Lake Kivu.

It is estimated that at least 200,000 Rwandans directly survive on fishing amid concerns over continued use of illegal gears by Congolese fishermen.

The Rwandan fishermen are accusing their Congolese counterparts of using fishing gears, which trap young fish. The lake is shared by both Rwanda and Congo.

In the past, Justus Rutaisire, an independent consultant, who carried out a research on the lake said fish stocks in Lake Kivu had reduced that only two fish could be caught after 12 hours. He attributed the drop in volumes of fish to increasing fish pressure due to unregulated fishing.

Besides, Lake Kivu, Rwanda is also finding it a problem to enforce a bans on Lake Cyohoha and Rweru shared by Burundi.