FISHERIES 243 



As a result of the reports mentioned, the foundation has been 

 laid for the development of lake fisheries in East Africa; but there 

 appear to have been certain misconceptions in regarding them as 

 final statements on the fisheries with which they deal. In reality, 

 by breaking new ground, the principal object of the writers has 

 been to point the way for further work, and to stress the importance 

 of creating a permanent research and administrative organization 

 concerned with East African fisheries. It seems that such a depart- 

 ment would be best developed on an interterritorial basis, to in- 

 clude the control and development of fisheries on Lake Victoria 

 and all the surrounding group of lakes in Kenya, Uganda, and 

 Tanganyika, and possibly also the sea fisheries. 



At present the freshwater fisheries of East Africa are controlled 

 by various departments, a system which has considerable disad- 

 vantages, particularly in view of the common interest of the three 

 territories in the control of the fishery on Lake Victoria. In Kenya 

 the fisheries inspector is responsible to the administrative depart- 

 ment. The game department, however, has a special officer in 

 charge of fish, especially trout. In Uganda responsibility for the 

 fisheries has recently been handed over to the game department, 

 and it is noteworthy that Captain Pitman, the game warden, has 

 devoted considerable sections of his recent annual reports to 

 fisheries. Pitman has initiated the work of fish marking in Lake 

 Victoria in the hope of tracing the growth and movements of the 

 important economic species. The time, perhaps in the distant 

 future, may be envisaged when there will be biological stations 

 and aquaria on Lake Victoria and at Mombasa for the thorough 

 study of fishery problems. 



Modern trends in native policy point to the development of 

 industry on the basis of existing native fisheries; this involves 

 attention to the improvement of methods of catching, curing, 

 marketing, organization, and the control of fishing-grounds. 

 Meanwhile, however, there appears to be no objection to develop- 

 ment on a larger scale in certain areas, leaving the initiative to 

 those who consider the proposition sufficiently attractive to invest 

 the necessary capital. In recent years several European companies 

 have begun to exploit the waters of the larger lakes in Uganda, 

 but so far without much success. 



