Assessment of fish catch (oreochromis spp) in the mindu reservoir for the formulation of remedial measures

Mindu Reservoir is a man-made lake that is located 6km outside Morogoro town. The multipurpose impoundment was completed in 1983 to store water for the municipal water supply and for irrigation purposes. Soon after the completion of the reservoir, fish population increased quickly attracting many fishermen from different parts of the Tanzania. Apart from over fish exploitation, the impoundment is also facing problems of pollution from both point and non-point sources within its catchment. This includes discharge of effluents from industries and of domestic origin, which receive partial or no treatment at all. At present the effects of deforestation accompanied with poor farming methods have enhanced the fast siltation of the reservoir. The above problems coupled with lack of enforcement of existing management measures would possibly lead to over fishing and increased threat to the ecosystem as a whole. In this study the assessment of fish catch (Oreochromis spp) for the period 1985-2006 and water quality for the period 2004-2006 is analyzed. The results show that the fishery is declining despite the increasing effort. Its apparent that water pollution has a key role in the decline of fish catch in the Mindu Reservoir. Thus the study calls for remedial measures for sustainable exploitation of fish and control of water pollution to avoid further degradation