True Fish Farming Story in Lake Victoria Basin (TRUEFISH)

Abstract

TRUEFISH Result Area 3.3 was developed with the intention to improve the protection of biodiversity resources, particularly the tilapias, in the Lake Victoria Basin of East Africa region, leading towards sustainable and improved commercial aquaculture production and productivity. This report presents the results from the Genetic Screening Research component, obtained from 380 samples of tilapia from Lake Victoria (from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda). From the results, it was established that the Nile tilapia population structure is weak, with little differentiation, except at Lakes Kacheera and Kijanebalola in Uganda. Other tilapia species sampled and analyzed include Oreochromis leucostictus, O. variabilis, O. esculentus, Coptodon zillii and C. rendalli. The screening results also indicated some hybridization happening within the Lake, and especially in caged farms. The result from this study is aimed to inform future development of aquaculture and biodiversity conservation plans for Lake Victoria and the surrounding basin.