Role of Policies in the Sustainability of Fish Species in Lake Victoria: a Pathway to the Green Economy in Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Tanzania has made efforts to transit to a green economy through policies, among other instruments that the country identifies to have green economy elements. This work studies the effectiveness of fishery policies in achieving green economy transitions in the country using the presence of Beach Management Units (BMUs) in the fishing site as a major policy element, acknowledging other control variables. The study uses cross-sectional data from the districts around Lake Victoria, which is the major fish zone of the country, to determine the impact of policies on the sustainability of the dominant species in the lake. Results from multiple linear regression analysis indicate that the presence of BMUs in the fishing site has a positive significant effect on the abundance of Nile perch and sardine (dagaa) species while having an insignificant impact on the abundance of other species. The work concluded that policies are siding on the Nile perch and sardines because of their economic importance. Therefore, the study recommends more studies on the maintenance of sustainability and productivity of the stock in the lake, as well as reforming policies that accommodate all species and important sectors.

KEYWORDS

policies, green economy, fishery species, sustainability, Lake Victoria,

Cite this paper

Isege Zephania Mihayo. (2020) Role of Policies in the Sustainability of Fish Species in Lake Victoria: a Pathway to the Green Economy in Tanzania. International Journal of Agricultural Science, 5, 5-13