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Explain any four problems facing fishing in East Africa

Answer Text:
(a) Overfishing resulting from use of small meshed nets and unlicensed fishermen resulting in extinction of such species.
(b) Pollution of water bodies by oil spillage and seepage of industrial and agricultural chemicals into water which kills marine organisms and prohibits introduction of fish into such waters.
(c) Transport problem As key fisheries being far from centres of population which causes many places to rarely receive fresh fish e.g. L.Turkana.
(d) Lack of adequate market Due to many communities having not developed fish eating culture, availability of agricultural products such as beef and pork, many fishing
grounds being found in sparsely populated areas, many fishing grounds being found far away from potential markets and inability by many people to afford fish due to being expensive due to transport costs being passed on to consumers.
(e) Inadequate capital Making fishermen unable to afford fishing equipment with speed and greater capacity making them unable to
venture into deep waters where there is more fish and modern preservation facilities limiting their catch per day. (f) Location of marine waters Within tropical latitudes where there is warm water limiting the growth of plankton. (g) Narrow continental shelf hence less fish.
(h) Fluctuation of volume of water in rivers and lakes due to seasonal variation of
rainfall and prolonged droughts which causes fish death or migration e.g. Turkana after damming of R. Omo in Ethiopia.
(i) Growth of weeds e.g. water hyacinth in L.Victoria which prohibits movement of vessels thereby lowering the catch.
(j) Human activities near fishing grounds Which cause soil erosion which causes siltation which
lowers the depth of water affecting fish breeding.
(k) Boundary conflict between Kenya and Uganda over Migingo.