When I visited the small community of Wairaka on the north shore of Lake Victoria in Uganda, fishermen there detailed to me how they have been struggling to make their traditional living off the water in recent years. They say a combination of overfishing, illegal fishing, overzealous enforcement of fishing laws, and invasive species threaten their ability to catch enough to pay rent for their homes and boats and other basic expenses.
After setting their nets out overnight, fishermen are now accustomed to returning to shore with just a few fish a day, rather than the up to 20 that used to be common.
“This is the situation now,” Bumba Musasizi, father of an infant daughter, tells me, alluding to the struggle his community has had in earning a living on the lake for the past several years. He netted just two fish on a recent trip, hardly making the money spent on fuel worth it.
About the author
Teresa Welshtmawelsh
Teresa Welsh is a Senior Reporter at Devex. She has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
