Photo Essay of Climate Change, Over-Fishing's Impact on Lake Victoria
The world's second-largest freshwater lake is struggling, and the 30 million people who rely on it for survival are already feeling the consequences. Lake Victoria, which spans three countries – Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – is a major source of income for local communities and national economies. There arguably isn't an industry more important to both than fishing.
This African Great Lake produces about £500m ($722.2m) worth of fish a year, but in recent years, a combination of over-fishing, illegal fishing, pollution and climate change has strained the lake's fish stock, causing many in the industry to struggle.
Fish traders are being forced to take on second jobs because the cost of fish is rising so dramatically that they aren't making living wages, fishermen are working much longer hours on the water than they did a few years back for the same catch, and restaurant-owners are having to close shop or purchase fish from the likes of China, which is cheaper but puts local fishermen out of business.
Michell Zappa