Strategies for fish production in lowlands reservoirs, Lesotho
| ALCOM | GCP/INT/555/SWE |
| Aquaculture for Local Community Development Programme | GCP/RAF/277/BEL |
ALCOM Field Document No.31
| Strategies for fish production in lowlands reservoirs, Lesotho |
By C. Tilquin
Aquaculturist
(Associate Professional Officer)
ALCOM
and L Lechela
Senior Fisheries Assistant
Fisheries Section, Ministry of Agriculture
Maseru, Lesotho
Funding Agencies:
SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
BELGIAN ADMINISTRATION FOR DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATION
Executing Agency:
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Harare, Zimbabwe, December 1995
The objective of the seminar was to familiarize Government and non-government development workers with Lesotho's lowlands reservoir fishery resource and potential fish production strategies; suggest solutions to fish production issues; and identify opportunities to implement these strategies.
The strategies aimed at a sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources. In mid 1992, ALCOM and the Fisheries Section, Lesotho, revised the sub-project and assigned an ALCOM Staff member to assist with implementation. The summary of the work done by the ALCOM staff member is documented in Field Document No 31, Strategies for Fish Production in Lowland Reservoirs, Lesotho.
ALCOM, the Aquaculture for Local Community Development Programme, is a regional aquaculture and fisheries programme of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Based in Harare, Zimbabwe, it covers all the member-countries of SADC: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
ALCOM's aim is to assist member countries improve the living standards of rural populations through the practice of aquaculture. Toward this end, pilot activities are conducted in selected member-countries to demonstrate new techniques, technologies or methodologies. Successes achieved, ideas derived, and lessons learnt are disseminated for use in the region. ALCOM began its work in 1986 and is funded by Sweden and Belgium, with contributions to pilot projects from member countries.
ALCOM Address:
| Mail: | P.O. Box 3730, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Phone: | +263-4-724985 |
| Fax: | +263-4-736847 |
| Telex: | 26040 FAO ZW |
| E-mail: | [email protected] |
| Internet ALCOM Home Page: http://www.zamnet.com./zamnet/alcom/alcom.htm | |
Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.
This electronic document has been scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software. FAO declines all responsibility for any discrepancies that may exist between the present document and its original printed version.
2. AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION IN LESOTHO
4. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1. Reservoir inventory
4.2. Stock assessment and fishing monitoring method
4.3. Fish production enhancements and improved gear
4.4. Fisheries development and management options
5. RESERVOIR RESOURCE INVENTORY
5.1. Number and reservoir size class
5.2. Reservoir sedimentation
5.3. Reservoir selection
6. BASELINE DATA AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF FISH POPULATION
6.1.1. Drottningholm test fishing method
6.1.2. Derivative method using multifilament gillnets
6.1.3. Data recording and analysis
6.2.1. Reservoirs greater than 10ha
6.2.2. Reservoirs smaller than 10ha
6.3. Fish species found in lowland reservoirs
6.3.1. Fish stock assessment
6.3.2. Length frequency distribution
6.3.3. Ecological patterns
6.4.1. Materials
6.4.2. Method
6.4.2.1. Number of fishing efforts
6.4.2.2. Fishing period
6.4.2.3. Gillnet selectivity
6.4.2.4. Net saturation
6.4.2.5. Leading effect
7. SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF SMALL RESERVOIR FISHERIES
7.1. Methods
7.2. Main uses of the dams
7.3. Reservoir ownership and fishing control
7.3.1. Policy and legal framework
7.3.2. Ownership and control profile
7.4. Characteristics of fish catchers
7.5. Fishing gear and patterns
7.6. Markets and prices
7.6.1. Demand for fish
7.6.2. Fish prices
8. IMPROVING LOCAL FISHING GEAR
8.1. Background
8.2. Materials
8.2.1. Gillnet
8.2.2. Floating longline
8.2.3. Near-bottom longline
8.2.4. Hook and line
8.2.5. Fish trap
8.3.1. Comparison of local gear effort
8.3.2. Improved handline fishing
8.4.1. Comparison of gear effort
8.4.2. Improved handline fishing
9.1. Fish production potential in reservoirs
9.2. Selection of strategies
9.3. Part-time commercial gillnet fishery
9.3.1. Definition and framework
9.3.2. Economic viability of part-time entrepreneurs
9.3.3. Potential for fishery product
9.4. Recreational fishery
9.5. Unmanaged fishery
9.6. Fish culture
9.6.1. Extensive system
9.6.2. Semi-intensive fish culture
9.6.3. Intensive fish culture
9.7. Integrated fish-cum-duck farming
1- Profile of selected reservoirs
2- The Drottningholm test fishing method
5.1. Partition in percentage of Lesotho lowland reservoirs in number by size class.
5.2. Level of siltation of reservoirs by size class.
6.1. CPUE from three test fishing undertaken in Maqalika dam, 1990–1993.
6.2. CPUE by net type and depth zone from test fishing in Maqalika dam, 10 Dec. 1990.
6.3. Relative abundance and fish species composition in selected reservoirs greater than 10ha.
6.4. Length frequency distribution for Barbus aeneus in Thaba-Phatsoa dam.
6.5. Relative abun+wnce and fish species composition in selected reservoirs smaller than 10 ha.
6.6. The fish fauna in sampled lowland reservoirs.
6.7. Length frequency distribution for Labeo umbratus in Maqalika dam.
6.8. Selectivity curves of multifilament gillnet of different mesh sizes used by ALCOM in Lesotho for smallmouth yellowfish, largemouth yellowfish and Orange River labeo.
6.9. Selectivity curve and observed frequencies of 93mm stretched mesh size for L.umbratus.
6.10. CPUE with confidence intervals by net type in the 0–3 m depth zone for test fishing in Maqalika dam, 10 Dec. 1990.
8.6. Average CPUE from three test fishing exercises on comparison of local fishing gear effort in Maqalika dam, October & November 1993.
2.1. Aquaculture Production in Lesotho, 1979–1993.
5.1. Surface area and number of functional lowland reservoirs by size class
6.1. Specification of mono- and multifilament gillnets used by ALCOM in the Lesotho Lowlands.
6.2. Summary data on fish stock assessment in selected reservoirs.
6.3. Indigenous and exotic fish species in the Lesotho Lowlands.
6.4. Fish species composition by reservoir size class.
7.1. Retail fish prices, Maseru, February 1994.
9.1. Commercial gillnet fishery of dams in the Orange Free State, 1982–1992
9.2. Framework for part-time commercial fishery in reservoirs.
9.3. Estimated revenues from a part-time commercial gillnet fishery in Maqalika dam.
9.4. Estimated revenues from a rotating gillnet fishery in four lowland reservoirs.
9.5. Framework for a recreational fishery in reservoirs.
9.6. Framework for an unmanaged fishery in reservoirs.
9.7. Framework for an extensive fish culture in reservoirs.
9.8. Framework for a semi-intensive fish culture in reservoirs.
9.9. Framework for an intensive fish culture in reservoirs.
9.10. Framework for fish-cum-duck farming in reservoirs.
Recent studies have found that, while Basotho -- the people of Lesotho -- eat fish if it is available, they lack knowledge about local fishery resources and fishing methods. As a result, the fishery resources of Lesotho's lowland reservoirs are virtually unexploited. To remedy this situation, the Fisheries Section has formulated fish production strategies for local community groups and entrepreneurs on lowland reservoirs. ALCOM has assisted in this effort in the context of its small water body fisheries programme.
This report describes and discusses the project's work. An inventory of reservoirs classified by size class was carried out in seven lowland districts; stock assessment and catch monitoring methods were demonstrated in 15 selected reservoirs; a socio-economic profile was conducted of communities living around selected reservoirs; recommendations were made to enhance fish production and improve fishing gear, strategies were suggested for fisheries development and management.
The next step in lowland reservoir fisheries development is to raise local awareness of lowland reservoir fish production potential and to implement fish production strategies on selected reservoirs.