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The Dilemma of the Nile Perch

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The Dilemma of the Nile Perch Africa ECOLABELLING The Dilemma of the Nile Perch Ecolabelling could be a strategy to secure long-term market access of a fishing sector that secures the livelihoods of around 150,000 fishers in the Nile-perch fishery he Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tech- ous ups and downs since its introduc- nische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) tion in the 1990s. Consumer opinion TGmbH is an international co-op- shifted between ‘fish of the month’ and eration enterprise for sustainable de- an ‘African nightmare’, based on the velopment, with worldwide operations. documentary film Darwin’s Nightmare, GTZ is a German federal enterprise, and which, due to a very negative presenta- supports the German government in tion of the Nile-perch industry and the 10 achieving its development-policy ob- region, raised a lot of concerns. This jectives. The German Federal Ministry article clarifies certain problems, and for Economic Co-operation and Devel- proposes ecolabelling as a strategy to opment (BMZ) is one of its main clients. secure long-term market access for a Currently, GTZ is involved in a pilot sector that, at present, secures the live- project in Tanzania to introduce ecocer- lihoods of approximately 150,000 local tification in the fishing industry around fishers. the Nile perch (Lates niloticus), and is A lot has been published on the ef- fects of the Nile perch’s introduction into Lake Victoria, most of it controver- sial due to a sudden intense predation The current discussion about Nile perch is clearly and reduction of the unique, indig- dominated by a ‘European’ point of view, that is, one enous cichlid stocks. focused on pure nature and species conservation. Therefore, opinions range, in gener- al, from criticism as an ecological catas- trophe to the appraisal as an economic success story, based on the significance conducting a feasibility study in Sene- of the fishery for local incomes, em- gal about the possibility of ecocertifica- ployment and export revenue for the tion. In October 2006, GTZ organized a riparian States of Kenya, Tanzania and regional workshop in Nairobi to explo- Uganda. The latter comprised approxi- re the possibility of ecolabelling in Lake mately US$250 mn in 2004. Representa- Victoria. GTZ is also promoting respon- tives of the African States repeatedly sible aquaculture, inter alia, through refer to these facts to stress the impor- the introduction of environmental and tance of the Nile-perch fishing sector. social standards and guidelines for product certification. For example, with Chemical use the support of GTZ, Naturland initiated During recent years, cases of This article by Uwe Scholz (uwe.scholz@GTZ. their first pilot project for the organic contamination of fish consignments, de), Programme Adviser, Deutsche Gesellschaft für production of shrimp in Ecuador. the outbreak of a local cholera plague, Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), was earlier The German market for Lake Victo- and the alleged use of chemicals during published in Eurofish Magazine 6/2006 and also ria Nile perch has gone through numer- fishing operations led to import bans in Globefish (http://www.globefish.org/index. php?id=3513) SAMUDRA REPORT NO.48 ECOLABELLING into the European Union, resulting animal-rights viewpoint. A similar dis- in local unemployment and a huge cussion in relation to a proposed cull- loss of foreign exchange. A detailed ing of dangerous elephants in Malawi analysis of all the published pros and led a Chief of the Angoni to make the cons related to the introduction of following statement: “They (the Euro- the Nile perch would be very time- peans) love animals more than us.” consuming. Therefore, the following In a region where the survival of statements should be sufficient. Since the population is dependent on fishing, its introduction into Lake Victoria, the and issues like social security or com- species has established itself well and pensation for loss of earnings are non- has become part of the fish fauna. It existent, people see no direct benefit in can no longer be removed or controlled a fanatic protection of, for example, in- to such an extent that the indigenous digenous cichlids. For that to occur, in- cichlids will not be subject to predation. come from aquarium-fish trade (which The full history of the introduction is still has still to be established) or ‘cichlid a bit vague, as the only documentation tourism’ should exceed income from available concerns the release of a Nile-perch fishing, which is unlikely to limited amount of perch in February be the case. 1954 into Lake Kyoga, which is located A complete ban of the Nile-perch downstream of Lake Victoria—at this fishery, as demanded by the environ- time still separated by the Owen Falls. mental organization Greenpeace, is not Today, Nile perch accounts for about 50 a solution, because the fish has estab- per cent of the landings, followed by the lished itself firmly in the ecosystem, and lake sardine (Rastrineobola argentea, should rather be fished and consumed. locally named dagaa or omena) and It thus makes more sense to make use larger cichlid species such as the of the species, while, at the same time, 11 Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), a paying attention to social and environ- species that was also introduced during mental aspects and, in doing so, trying the 1960s. Lake sardines are today the to improve the livelihoods and living major staple source of protein supply conditions of the local population. To for the local population, while tilapia do this, local initiatives for better fish- are the preferred fish species for eries management at the village level consumption in urban centres. In other (beach management groups) and the words, the fish fauna of the lake is not, regional Lake Victoria Fisheries Or- as is often stated, entirely depleted of ganization (LVFO), which co-ordinates all species except the Nile perch. A lot of indigenous fish species have found GTZ long-term protection in the rocky shores or overgrown shallow waters of the lake. The current discussion about Nile perch is clearly dominated by a ‘Euro- pean’ point of view, that is, one focused on pure nature and species conserva- tion. Stated facts are often similar to the dialogue concerning animal protec- tion in African nature reserves, in par- ticular, the militant rejection of partly necessary cutback of abundant species that become destructive for people and the environment, for example, elephants. Debates and controversies are both useful and essential, since they draw attention, and may lead to an increased support for African coun- tries in their attempts to cope with the problems. However, the deliberations Nile perch accounts for about 50 per cent of the landings from Africa’s Lake Victoria are often dominated by an inflexible NOVEMBER 2007 A F R ICA the management efforts of the fisheries initiatives are welcome, and will be departments, should be supported. supported by the States concerned, as transparency, good fisheries manage- ment and labelling are seen as tools for An additional prerequisite would be that consumers in long-term market access of Nile perch Europe are prepared to pay a premium for ecolabelled fisheries products to the important Eu- ropean markets. They are also seen as Nile perch, and that fishermen involved in better fisheries- being of benefit to the population liv- management practices would benefit from this added ing around the lake, which sometimes value. hardly has any alternative to fishing. In this regard, GTZ will co-finance a MSC pre-assessment of Lake Victoria, Ecolabelling aims at producing and together with the German processors marketing fish in an ecological and so- and importers association, Bundes- cially compatible way. In the case of verband der deutschen Fischindustrie Lake Victoria perch, a labelling process und des Fischgroßhandels e.V. All par- such as that of the Marine Stewardship ties have agreed to participate, and the Council (MSC) would be a suitable tool, project will commence once the admin- but it would have to be modified to the istrative handling is arranged. conditions of the African small-scale Since March 2007 a pilot project fishery in conjunction with capacity de- for ecolabelling the Nile-perch fish- velopment of accredited local certifiers. ery in Lake Victoria has been running An additional prerequisite would be in Bukoba, Tanzania, in order to gain that consumers in Europe are prepared some first-hand experiences about the to pay a premium for ecolabelled Nile bottlenecks. Partners in this process 12 perch, and that fishermen involved in are the European importer, Anova, the better fisheries-management practices local Processor, Vicfish, and the certi- would benefit from this added value. fier, Naturland. The first results are not The prerequisite of the price premium expected before end 2007. seems to be, meanwhile, accepted, In recent months, GTZ has also pro- as more and more trade chains and vided backstop for an MSC initiative in wholesalers have reacted to consumer Senegal. In May 2007, a feasibility study pressure by offering a variety of MSC- for the MSC on Senegalese small-scale certified products. fisheries was commissioned. This study GTZ has gained a lot of experience is currently in the validation process, with development co-operation projects and findings will be announced in due For more in the fisheries sector worldwide. In co- course. operation with MSC and other partners gtz.de/en/presse/18444.htm like the Food and Agriculture Organiza- GTZ Press Release on Certification tion of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), GTZ www.anovafood.com/page.asp?lStrId=6 is currently in the process of develop- 3&lStrArtNr=5.3.&lIntMenuStyle=5&lIn ing a concept for an increased support tLevel=11&lStrLang=EN&lStrBuyer=&lS of the Developing World Programme trPagePath=Sustainability%20%3E%20 of the MSC, which also targets tropical Naturland small-scale fisheries like the Lake Victo- Towards Naturland Certification ria Nile perch fishery.
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