Paradigm shifts required to promote ecosystem modeling for ecosystem-based fishery management for African inland lakes
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Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Great Lakes Research
Abstract
Ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) is the best option where other fishery management objectives
have failed. This makes EBFM important for the African inland lakes and fisheries resources that are among the
most threatened in the world despite existing management interventions. Ecosystem modeling provides
information that guides EBFM, and, to promote EBFMfor the African inland lakes and fisheries, we present strategies
required to promote ecosystemmodeling. The strategies are based on an examination, presented herein, of
(i) publication trends in literature applying two leading aquatic ecosystem modeling platforms, Ecopath with
Ecosim (EwE) and Atlantis, on the African Great Lakes as representatives of African inland lakes and (ii) deficiencies
in data eminent in ecosystem models existing on these lakes. The examination indicated that ecosystem
modeling is inactive on the African Great Lakes, and there is limited local and regional capacity for ecosystem
modeling with existing models predominantly led by foreign researchers and marred by data deficiencies.
The implications of these observations for ecosystem modeling and EBFM for the African Great Lakes are
discussed. The strategies required to promote ecosystem modeling include supporting short-term training
workshops to equip local scientistswith basic skills for ecosystemmodeling,mainstreaming ecosystemmodeling
in fisheries training curriculum of local universities, and conducting data collection surveys to fill data
deficiencies. These are envisaged to increase capacity and activate ecosystem modeling, and consequently promote
EBFM.
Description
Keywords
Ecosystem-based, fishery management, Ecosystem modeling, Africa Great Lakes, Inland lakes
Citation
Musinguzi, L., Natugonza, V., & Ogutu-Ohwayo, R. (2017). Paradigm shifts required to promote ecosystem modeling for ecosystem-based fishery management for African inland lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 43(1), 1-8.