by
J.-L. Gaudet
Secretary to EIFAC
FAO, Rome, Italy
Sport fishery development and opportunities in Africa are studied with specific examples for a number of countries. The importance of planning, statistical data and international cooperation as main tools in sport fishery development is stressed.
Les possibilités de dévelopement de la pêche sportive en Afrique sont étudiées à partir d'exemples fournis par certains pays. On y souligne l'importance de la planification, des données statistiques et de la coopération internationale qui sont les instruments essentiels au développement de la pêche sportive.
In Africa the development of sport fisheries should be closely linked with the growth of tourism in general and in particular with the development and management of national parks (including the various aspects of recreation in water, forest and wild lands) and reservoirs but there is an apparent lack of awareness of the potential of sport fishing in relation to tourism.
It is an accepted fact in some countries that tourism based on national parks, marine parks, sport fishing along the coast or in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, regulated trophy-hunting and wildlife viewing in general, etc., contributes a substantial amount of the national income of many African countries, particularly in East Africa.
No-one can put a figure on the present value of wildlife nor even make a reasonable guess. One can only point to examples of figures of known value, different in kind but sufficient to demonstrate that wildlife is a resource of considerable economic importance to Africa, even in the present early stages of its development.
In Botswana1 a tremendous increase in revenues from wildlife took place as a result of the introduction of new legislation and the application of simple management and control procedures, initially over as short a period as three years in the early nineteen sixties. In Kenya various aspects of tourism based on wildlife are worth U.S.$ 50 million annually. It is said to represent the highest single item of foreign exchange. In East Africa, back in 1965, ivory exports alone were worth over U.S.$ 1 million. In Ghana, wildlife is the source of 65 percent of the protein consumed in rural areas. An FAO report, quoting a report by the Nigerian Department of Statistics on the value of game meat in southern Nigeria, estimated the value of game meat at not less than U.S.$ 50 million for 1966, the year of the survey.
1 This number and the following in the text apply to References listed at the end of this paper
In Kenya sport fishing is fast becoming world famous and a big attraction to overseas visitors who also benefit from unbeatable scenery teeming with wild animals and exotic birds.
Inland, in the north, we find Lake Rudolf where 200 lb Nile perch (Lates niloticus) are not uncommon and tiger fish (Hydrocynus vittatus) reach 25 lb. The black bass (Micropterus salmoides) of Lake Naivasha - with a record of 9½ lb - is famous. Also the sixty odd trout streams, some of which run through the Aberdare National Park, where fishing is allowed after paying the normal park entrance fee, are gaining in popularity. Fishing for coarse fish is also possible in most rivers other than cold streams and in the lakes.
Although the Kenya coastline is just 280 mi in length, it embraces some of the best big game fishing grounds in the world. The list of species easily caught is most impressive. Apart from the internationally recognized tuna, marlin and sailfish fishing, as many as eight species of shark, barracuda, king fish, dolphin fish, snappers, bonefish, black runners, rainbow runner, etc., are found. Fishing is carried out from four main centres: Malindi, Kilifi, Mombasa and Shimoni. Although all have fishing hire centres, hotels and catering facilities, sports equipment shops, further important improvements are needed and planned. All need better landing facilities and boat anchorage. The marinas need to be enlarged and designed along modern lines such as those found in the Mediterranean and North American holiday centres. Ancillary facilities are badly required such as sea rescue and radio communication centres, chandlery shops, showrooms, provision centres, car parks, etc.
In Malawi, sport fishing is organized through the Angling Society of Malawi. Serranochromis, Haplochromis, Barilius and other fishes can be found in Lake Malawi and the Lower Shire River has good tiger fishing (Hydrocynus vittatus). Bass fishing in small privately owned dams in the highland areas is popular as well as trout fishing in Mulanje area and in dams and streams on Zomba plateau. Good trout fishing in three well stocked dams and streams in the Nyika National Park make it very attractive to tourists. Trout licences are available on a daily, weekly or yearly basis. Generally speaking, however, sport fishing is not tourist oriented but is mostly for residents, mainly foreign groups. Trout fishing is administered by the Game Department with the assistance of the Fishery Department.
Tanzania has a very strong angling club in Moshi for trout which is exploited mainly by expatriates resident in the country. The possibilities of further development are superb. At Mbeya a resort is being developed around sport fishing facilities to cater for tourists from the south. At Dar es Salaam facilities exist and could be further developed to exploit the fabulous sea fishing grounds of the Mafia islands.
In Zambia, fishing for Nile perch and some of the rock cichlids in Lake Tanganyika is already offering unprecedented sport on one of the most beautiful lakes in Africa. Also on Lake Tanganyika, the possibility of hooking and landing the rare goliath tigerfish (H. goliath) offers a really unique opportunity to the sport fisherman. Spinning or trolling for tiger fish (Hydrocynus vittatus) in the Luapula and Chambeshi rivers, and indeed in the Upper Zambezi and Kariba, offers fantastic sport - possibly surpassed only by trout fishing in the Andes or New Zealand. Zambia is well endowed with natural waterways and strong fighting sport fish; the potential to the tourist industry is tremendous. This potential exists of course in all the countries bordering upon Lake Tanganyika (Zambia, Tanzania, Zaire, Burundi).
In South Africa, recreation sport fishing has a high value indeed for the economy. Trout fishing is highly developed as well as surf fishing and goggle fishing. The latter is rapidly gaining in importance and offers good opportunities in other African countries both in fresh and sea water.
Uganda also offers excellent angling in most of its lakes and rivers, which is capable of greater extension by intelligent management. As an example, since the stocking of Lake Kyoga and the Victoria Nile with nile perch, and subsequent catches by anglers, the sport fishery between Namasagali and Bujagali Falls has, in six months, grown to a major recreation, supporting three motorboats for hire, a dozen dug-out canoes, and employing large numbers of fishermen as guides and ghillies. Over one ton weight of fish is landed by anglers in this stretch of river in an average weekend.
Recent sporadic appearances of Nile perch in Lake Victoria appear to be on the increase. This can bode well indeed for the sport fishing industry once angling for perch is established.
The effect of this as a tourist attraction could be important. The Entebbe area particularly is readily accessible in normal times from all parts of the world. Excellent accommodation is available and all kinds of coastline, scenery and fishing waters - sheltered, offshore, deep, shallow, etc. - are close at hand. The Nile perch is an excellent angling fish and the chance of landing a very large one, always a possibility, seems an irresistible lure to American anglers in particular. Given the proper promotion, Lake Victoria could become one of the major angling centres of the world.
Angling in Uganda as in most of Africa, however, remains a very minor sport and is almost entirely the preserve of expatriate Europeans. There is no adequate handbook or guide to angling and the fairly extensive knowledge of the sport in Uganda is locked up in the heads of those few expatriates who are now leaving the country taking this knowledge with them.
The Fisheries Department has done what it can to popularize angling, but has always been handicapped by the shortage of finance and staff. Staff are in any case generally fully engaged in the development of the commercial fishery. Nevertheless, Uganda is the only country in Africa, to my knowledge, that has a course in sport fishing at the Entebbe Fisheries Training Institute. It tries to familiarize students with the various sport fishing methods and equipment. This course is of minor importance in the curriculum of the school but it is a start. Also, a post of sport fishery officer was to be established.
All this points to increased investments and consequently better evaluation is needed of the present potential and future developments. Thus there is a crucial need for more information, particularly better statistics.
Lake Tanganyika offers ideal potential for sport fishing because of its size (32 000 km2), beautiful setting and rich fish fauna. The Lates and boulen Gerichromis would be the species to exploit. Lakes Cahola and Rweru being stocked mostly with tilapia offer less potential. Rivers have no sport fishery potential.
The Nautical Club of Burundi regularly organizes fishing competition but on a small scale on Sundays. The present number of sport fishermen is small and catches are also small.
Presently, sport fishing is practised only by the higher income groups in Madagascar. Between one and two thousands sport fishermen can be found, and the popular species are trout and black bass. Trout is found in lakes and rivers above 1 600 m while black-bass is found in many water areas above 700 m. A small trout fishing club exists at Tananarive but membership is said to be decreasing.
Wildlife, including fisheries, is a valuable resource in many other regions of Africa. The building of new large reservoirs often increases the tourist potential, for example, fishing for tiger fish below the spectacular Kainji dam in Nigeria is a real attraction since success can be almost guaranteed in these waters because the fish which have been used to travel upstream are now prevented from doing so by the dam and congregate below it. Cruising and sport fishing on the Kainji Lake have not been yet organized but could raise modest revenues. Then there is the Borgu Game Reserve between the Kainji Lake and the Dahomey border which offers good possibilities of development.
Mention should be made of the annual fishing festival at Argungu (Solsato River, Nigeria) as an example of an important sport fishing event entirely national in its significance but with important tourist attraction potential. Nigerians from many parts of the country come to Argungu drawn by prizes and the social aspects; consequently it has a major impact on developing tourist facilities.
Two issues seem clear. First, the more we learn about existing sport fishery and wildlife values, the more we are surprised to find that they are a far more valuable resource than hitherto realized (3). Second, for those countries for which we have comparable records annual values from wildlife seem to be increasing for a number of reasons. Internationally, we have every reason to believe that wildlife and sport fisheries as a resource will become considerably more important than at present. There is no way of knowing where the present trend will stop, but it is clear that the future developments will be closely linked with the stabilization and development of more appropriate forms of land use in marginal lands in several of these major regions (1) and the development of reservoirs. The significance of national parks, hunting, sport fishing and other forms of tourism as earners of foreign exchange has been demonstrated already in so many countries that much activity is being put into the development of new parks and reserves, controlled hunting areas and other bases for encouraging tourism.
Among the important economic issues to be considered in the development of sport fishing in Africa, early planning is a basic one. There is no doubt that in Europe a major obstacle to sport fishing development has been the lack of adequate early recognition of the importance of the resource. Africa has a decided advantage here.
No less than 30 countries in the region are now implementing their development plans(d). The number of trained agricultural planners is steadily increasing and requests for external assistance continue. Planning units are becoming an established part of ministries of agriculture. Among the various countries, plan objectives generally remain the same, although emphasis and policy strategies differ. Rural development and employment are common objectives, as are food self-sufficiency, agricultural diversification and the earning of foreign exchange. The development of sport fishing, particularly in East Africa is not only the result of good natural conditions but also the early recognition of sport fishing as an important element of foreign exchange earnings.
Water resource development in the African continent is, however, increasingly recognized as a complex, multi-disciplinary undertaking(5). We know, for example, that in the long-term planning of outdoor recreation, man-made lakes are bound to play an important role. But the rapid change necessitated in the creation of a reservoir from a dynamic riverine ecology into a relatively stable lacustrine ecosystem makes it absolutely essential to adopt, in the early planning stage, a multi-disciplinary approach (5–8).
Altering ecology as they do, and often isolating islands or long peninsulas, such new lakes also offer an opportunity for conservation of open spaces and natural beauty and preservation of natural areas for study and enjoyment.
In addition, forests within these areas, just like reservoirs such as Kariba and Kainji, may often be managed for multiple use including wildlife utilization, recreation and tourism. Unless there is planning, feasibility analysis, and implementation of proposed wildlife and recreation development at an early stage, economic losses may be incurred in the management of and investment in wildlife, recreation and tourism.
How, by planning, can different uses such as tourism, recreation and wildlife utilization be developed, coordinated and integrated with other aspects of the management of the new lake or of the entire drainage basin of which the lake is a part? Planners need to identify the existing resource and the potential for its development; in particular, national parks, game reserves, forest reserves and other game and forest management areas that may be devoted to various recreational uses, such as camping, hunting for game and wildfowl, fishing, boating, swimming and water skiing(5).
Infrastructure for recreation and tourism development, such as tourist roads, harbours of refuge, marinas and tourist accommodation, should be constructed with overall lake development in mind, and sited so as to preserve and take advantage of features of natural beauty. In fact, Rhodesia did just that prior to the building of Kariba dam and now has important tourist facilities for sport fishing in particular.
All these considerations require the early formulation of policies for wildlife, recreation and tourism, the designation of an appropriate administration and enactment of suitable legislation.
Investments in the development of reservoirs for recreation need especially careful prior appraisal. In much of Africa and Asia, recreational development would probably be aimed today at the tourist trade. Nationals are little interested. However, this does not imply that long-range planning for future recreational use by local populations should not enter into early consideration of the development of new man-made lakes on these two continents.
Financing the development of tourism in the vicinity of new man-made lakes may be national or international, private or public. National or regional tourism organizations will be able to advise on coordination with tourism development plans on a wider basis.
As is true of every successful type of revenue-earning, particularly foreign exchange, there is a natural tendency to increase accommodation for tourism in such promising areas and thereby obtain a greater income by providing tourists with different kinds of facilities in the hope of attracting an ever greater number year after year. To facilitate increasing tourism, new hotels, more roads and other constructions are being planned or erected, new types of tours are being programmed, and, of course, new types of pressures are exerted on the natural resources which are the basis of the industry. It can already be seen also here that sound planning and intelligent management are necessary to prevent the degradation and depletion of what were thought to be unlimited resources on other continents.
In the national planning, preference needs to be concentrated and oriented to stimulate the maximum complementary effort by others, whether in terms of national action or in terms of technical and financial assistance from abroad. Preference should be given to activities in which specific national policies and programmes coincide with international development priorities.
An essential requirement to sound planning with respect to the place of sport fishing in the multi-discipline approach to development is statistical data. In Africa, this is an acute problem. While catch statistics by sport fishermen may have been estimated fairly accurately in some African countries, there is an almost absolute dearth of data on the number of sport fishermen (national or foreign) and on their contribution to the national economy.
More progress has been made in this field in hunting than fishing. Many African countries require every hunter to endorse all animals shot during safari or elsewhere and return this information within 24 hours of the permit's expiry to the nearest Game Warden(9). Trophy dealers must keep a day-by-day diary where all dealings in game products have to be entered. A duplicate of the diary, together with a bi-monthly return showing in detail all trophies bought and sold, has to be submitted to the Chief Game Warden. The hunter returns are coded and transcribed on punch cards to facilitate an analysis of the data.
Wildlife biologists have gone a stop further than the fishery experts in their efforts to standardize statistical information, particularly in the African continent. An Ad hoc Working Party on wildlife management of the African Forestry Commission which met in Nairobi in February 1972 (8–10) has designed a schedule for standardizing the reporting of wildlife statistics. This schedule does not at this stage include edible marine or freshwater invertebrates because the Working Party assumed (rightly or wrongly) that such data would be included in the fisheries returns, but it accounts for inedible marine products as well as underwater parks. The latter are included because, although their main attraction is fish, the administration of such conservation areas is usually in the hands of the wildlife authority and not those of the organization responsible for fisheries.
An important factor in the overall impact of sport fishing on national economics, is the related consumption of hard goods (fishing gear, boats, engines, etc.). Maximal impact of sport fishing in developing countries can only be obtained as the manufacturing industry locally produces these goods. In the wildlife field, taxidermy and leather industries have developed as subsidiary income-producing activities, though little headway has been made in manufacturing hunting gear for example. Some manufacturing is essentially a small- scale industry which is well within the reach of African artisans and African capital, while boat construction and engine servicing also provide opportunities for small-scale investment and business. Further exploration of means of developing ancillary industry should receive a higher priority in the field of sport fishery in Africa.
So far, no substantial efforts have been made at the international level for the improvement of sport fishery statistics for the amalgamation of sport fisheries and wildlife statistics. Two important recent developments, however, will facilitate this task at the continental level. One is the creation of the FAO Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA) in 1971 and the other the increasing role being played by FAO in the development of the aquatic resources on that continent in its function as Executive Agency for the United Nations Development Programme.
The Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA) has been created at the insistence of the African countries. It is a subsidiary body of FAO whose overall purpose is to promote improvements in inland fisheries and advise Member Governments and FAO on inland fishery matters. One specific function envisaged for CIFA and incorporated in its statutes is “to assist in the collection, interchange, dissemination and analysis of statistical, biological and environmental data”.
One of the major functions of FAO in the field of inland fisheries in Africa has been to assist its Member Nations in the assessment and management of their aquatic resources, and to promote international action that will enable the fullest utilization of the resources to the benefit of all concerned. The creation of CIFA is tangible evidence of the seriousness of these aims.
Even though the Organization fully realizes the importance of sport fisheries, it has concentrated most of its attention, so far, on the conservation and development of commercial and subsistence fisheries for food fish in the tropical and sub-tropical regions because of the immediate need for increasing food production in these areas. FAO has endeavoured, within the financial sources available to it, to provide assistance to Member Governments in planning and conducting investigations and management in this field. Cognizant of the neglect suffered by inland fisheries in many developing as well as developed countries, the Organization has urged appropriate consideration of their value in national development plans.
Several African nations have embarked in recent years on large-scale natural resource research and development projects (many of which dealing with fisheries) with assistance from the United Nations (UN), bilateral aid programmes and private foundations. The United Nations Development Programme is the Agency with which many UN supported projects are arranged. The basic intent of such projects is to assist governments in the research and planning necessary for resource development and to help in actual development of the resource. The expected results are that the nations concerned will be able to carry forward the work of the project after termination of the UN contract and that supplementary projects and financial help will have been brought into effect as needs are disclosed by the project For UNDP projects on large man-made and natural lakes in Africa, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, is often executing agency with primary responsibility assigned to its Department of Fisheries. These projects are large in scope, with teams of experts, counterparts and adequate field and laboratory equipment. The first of these in inland fisheries for which FAO was made the Executing Agency was the Lake Kariba Fishery Project on one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Similar ones have been started on Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda), Kainji Lake (Nigeria), Volta Lake (Ghana), Nasser Lake (Egypt), Kossou Lake (Ivory Coast) and Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania).
It is important to note that most of these projects include in their plan of operation a certain number of man-months for wildlife, wildlife ecologist or tourism experts and one such project in Latin America some man-months of experts on sport fishing.
In addition, FAO is also Executing Agency for a large number of field projects with a substantial tourism element in Africa in connexion with wildlife, national parks and forest management.
In conclusion it can be said that FAO and CIFA's role in the field of sport fisheries is to promote ideas, stimulate action, function as en international catalyst and assist countries in learning to apply techniques and known technology.
For many African countries investment is one of the fundamental elements of development. Tourism, including sport fishing, has a growth potential that can make an important contribution to economic growth. As mentioned above, for some countries more gifted naturally, tourism may even be the main road to earning foreign exchange. It must be remembered, however, that in Africa, the challenge is not only the lack of investments but also the difficulties faced by governments in preparing for international support projects and programmes which will have a beneficial impact on a large part of the economy. The part that sport fisheries should play in these programmes is still far from being recognised. It is hoped that intergovernmental bodies such as CIFA will help in bringing about the just recognition of the role of sport fisheries in development.
(1) Riney, T., 1971 The international significance of Botswana environment as a test case. Conference on sustained production from semi-arid areas with particular reference to Botswana. FO:MISC/71/28, 16 November 1971. FAO, Rome
(2) Personal communication, 1970 Sport fishing in Kenya. Present potentials, future development
(3) Copley, H., 1952 The Game fishes of Africa. London, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd.
(4) FAO, 1971 State of Food and Agriculture. FAO, Rome
(5) Lagler, K.F., 1969 Man-made lakes - planning and development, United Nations Development Programme, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
(6) Lowe-McConnell, R.H., 1966 Man-made lakes. Proceedings of a Symposium held in London in 1965. Academic Press, London
(7) Obeng Letitia, E. (ed.), 1969 Man-made lakes. The Accra Symposium. Ghana Universities Press, Accra
(8) International Symposium on man-make lakes, Knoxville, 1972 Tennessee. Proceedings. American Geophysical Union. Washington, D.C.
(9) Richter, W. von, 1971 The importance of wildlife statistics for the management of the wildlife industry. African Forestry Commission. Ad hoc Working Party on wildlife management. Fourth Session, Nairobi, Kenya, 1–3 February 1972. FO:AFC/WL:72/18. FAO, Rome
(10) Grimwood, I., 1972 The economic value of indigenous wildlife - schedule showing. African Forestry Commission. Ad hoc Working Party on wildlife management. Fourth Session. Nairobi, Kenya, 1–3 February 1972. FO:AFC/WL/72/22. FAO, Rome
| Papers issued in this series | |
| EIFAC/T1 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. Report on finely divided solids and inland fisheries (1964). |
| EIFAC/T2 | Fish diseases. Technical Notes submitted to EIFAC Third Sessions by Messrs. J. Heyl, H. Mann, C.J. Rasmussen, and A, van der Struik (Austria, 1964). |
| EIFAC/T3 | Feeding in trout and salmon culture. Papers submitted to a Symposium, EIFAC Fourth Sessions (Belgrade, 1966). |
| EIFAC/T4 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. Report on extreme pH values and inland fisheries (1968). |
| EIFAC/T5 | Organization of inland fisheries administration in Europe, by Jean-Louis Gaudet (Rome, 1968). |
| EIFAC/T6 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. Report on water temperature and inland fisheries based mainly on Slavonic literature (1968). |
| EIFAC/T7 | Economic evaluation of inland sport fishing, by lngemar Norling (Sweden, 1968). |
| EIFAC/T8 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. List of literature on the effect of water temperature on fish (1969). |
| EIFAC/T9 | New developments in carp and trout nutrition. Papers submitted to a Symposium, EIFAC Fifth Session (Rome, 1968). |
| EIFAC/T10 | Comparative study of laws and regulations governing the international traffic in live fish and fish eggs, by F.B. Zenny, FAO Legislation Branch (Rome, 1969). |
| EIFAC/T11 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. Report on ammonia and inland fisheries (1970). |
| EIFAC/T12 | Salmon and trout feeds and feeding (1971). |
| EIFAC/T13 | Elements of the theory of age determination of fish according to scales. The problems of validity (1971). |
| EIFAC/T14 | EIFAC consultation on eel fishing gear and techniques (Rome, 1971) |
| EIFAC/T15 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. Report on monohydric phenols and inland fisheries (1972). |
| EIFAC/T16 | Symposium on the nature and extent of water pollution problems affecting inland fisheries in Europe. Synthesis on national reports (1972). |
| EIFAC/T17 | Symposium on the major communicable fish disease in Europe and their control. Report (1972). |
| EIFAC/T17 Suppl. 1 | The major communicable fish diseases of Europe and North America. A review of national and international measures for their control, by P.E. Thompson, W.A., Dill & G. Moore (1973). |
| EIFAC/T17 Suppl. 2 | Symposium on the major communicable fish diseases in Europe and their control. Panel reviews and relevant papers (1973). |
| EIFAC/T18 | The role of administrative action as a tool in water pollution control, by G.K. Moore, FAO Legislation Branch (Rome, 1973). |
| EIFAC/T19 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. Report on dissolved oxygen and inland fisheries (1973). |
| EIFAC/T20 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. Report on chlorine and freshwater fish (1973). |
| EIFAC/T21 | Water quality criteria for European freshwater fish. Report on zinc and freshwater fish (1973). |
| EIFAC/T22 | Ecological diagnosis in salmonid streams - Method and Example, by R. Cuinet et al. (1975). |
| EIFAC/T23 | Report of the Symposium on methodology for the survey, monitoring, and appraisal of fishery resources in lakes and large rivers (1974). |
| EIFAC/T23 Suppl. 1 | Symposium on the methodology for the survey, monitoring and appraisal of fishery resources in lakes and large rivers - Panel reviews and relevant papers/Symposium sur les méthodes de prospection, de surveillance et d'évaluation des ressources ichtyologiques dans les lacs et grands cours d'eau - Exposés des groupes et communications apparentées (1975). |
| EIFAC/T24 | Reprot on fish toxicity testing procedures (1975). |
| EIFAC/T25 | Workshop on controlled reproduction of cultivated fishes - Report and relevant papers/Réunin sur la reproduction contrôlée des poissons d'élevage - Rapport et communications apparentées (1976) |
| EIFAC/T26 | Second European consultation on the economic evaluation of sport and commercial fisheries - Report and technical papers/Deuxième consultation européenne sur l'évaluation économique de la pêche sportive et commerciale - Rapport et documents techniques (1977). |
