<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="01" > Africa's largest freshwater lake, Lake Victoria</h1>
Located in the highlands of East Africa, Lake Victoria is the boundary lake of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, and most of the entire lake belongs to Uganda and Tanzania, and only a small part belongs to Kenya.
Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater lake in Africa, with a maximum width of about 240 kilometers from east to west, while the maximum length from north to south is about 337 kilometers, the catchment area of the lake is about 69,484 square kilometers, and the average depth of the lake is about 40 meters.
After researchers have probed the depth of some lakes, the deepest point is now known to be about 82 meters. Recognized as one of the most beautiful freshwater lakes, Lake Victoria has a meandering shoreline of 3,220 kilometres, crystal clear and high visibility, and a large number of wild fish, shrimp and other aquatic animals.
Due to the superior ecological environment in the lake, the local people introduced Nile perch in order to improve the economic output value of the fishery. However, the introduced sea bass grew wildly in the lake, and in just a few decades, they actually ate the indigenous fish of Lake Victoria to the point of "endangerment", which became the sadness of Lake Victoria!
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="02" > know nile bass</h1>
The Nile perch, also known as the African perch, is a species of perch in the family Spireceridae. The Nile perch is a freshwater fish species widely distributed in the Congo River, Lake Chad, Lake Turkana, Senegal, Nile and other freshwater rivers in Africa.
The Nile perch is a large and fierce carnivorous fish, which is almost difficult to meet in freshwater waters, and when it encounters a fish species smaller than its own size, it is swallowed directly, and even the ferocious catfish is its food.
In the case of insufficient food sources, it will also eat the same kind, and it is a well-deserved freshwater "overlord". The Nile perch grows extremely fast, and a newly hatched Nile perch fry, which grows in natural waters, only takes about 2 years to spawn and reproduce.
The Nile perch can live for up to 16 years in natural waters, and its reproductive ability is also quite amazing. Adult Nile perch can lay between 2.5 million and 18 million eggs a year, and although the eggs may not all survive, they outnumber most freshwater species in numbers.
Wild Nile perch can grow up to more than 2 meters long and weigh more than 400 pounds. The Nile perch is one of the 100 most influential invasive species in the world and is an out-and-out "foodie."
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="03" > the hazards of Nile perch introduction to Lake Victoria</h1>
The Nile perch is a large fish native to the natural waters of Africa, but in the 1950s locals piloted a group of Nile bass in Lake Kyoga. Lake Kyoga is home to a large number of cichlids, which have little economic value and have become food for Nile perch.
When the Nile perch matures, the locals will bring the caught Nile perch to the market and find it very popular. After analysis, it was concluded that after the Nile perch preyed on a large number of small lids, it not only grew larger and the meat of the fish was more delicious and delicious, but ignored the ecological impact of the Nile perch on Lake Kyoga.
In order to pursue greater interests, fishermen increase the value of Lake Victoria's fisheries and introduce a large number of Nile bass to be stocked into Lake Victoria. Since the Nile perch is a large carnivorous fish, there is no threat of natural enemies in Lake Victoria, and with strong reproductive ability, a large population soon formed in Lake Victoria.
Since the introduction of the Nile perch, the ecological environment of Lake Victoria has gradually begun to deteriorate. Originally, the ecology of Lake Victoria could circulate on its own, because there were hundreds of indigenous fish in the lake, and there were dozens of fish and shrimp that ate various algae, but these indigenous fish were wiped out by nile perch in just a few decades.
According to the monitoring statistics of fishery experts at that time, after the Nile perch entered Lake Victoria, it grew fat and strong in the lake, and the largest Nile perch was close to 400 pounds. However, about hundreds of species of fish and shrimp were eaten to "extinguish the door", causing the algae of Lake Victoria to grow wildly, causing great harm and loss to Lake Victoria.
Since it was introduced to Lake Victoria in East Africa in the 1950s, it has had a deadly impact on the environment here. Some parts of the world stipulate that it is illegal to sell or feed this fish. It is reported that the Nile perch has caused hundreds of species of fish in Lake Victoria to be "wiped out".
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="04" > the Nile perch can't escape the human table no matter how big it is</h1>
Although the Nile perch is a large perch, the fish is extremely delicious, and because this sea bass is rich in fat, the locals usually like to grill it with charcoal, which is particularly delicious. As Nile perch became popular with locals, local fishermen began a frenzied fishing for Nile bass.
In recent years, some fishermen have been short-sighted, using meshes the size of "nets" and overfishing Lake Victoria, even Nile perch, which is less than 30 centimeters long, have also been fished and marketed. In addition, because Lake Victoria is shared by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, it is difficult to regulate, and some illegal fishing has been repeatedly prohibited.
Production has declined dramatically as local fishing practices have destroyed the nile perch's habitat. According to relevant information, Lake Victoria earns about $250 million per year from Nile perch exports alone.
According to statistics, before 2000, the average annual production of fish in Lake Victoria was about 120,000 tons, but then the total weight of fish caught gradually decreased, but the fishermen and fishing boats in the lake increased by 52% to 63%, so Lake Victoria is facing more harm than the Nile perch.
At present, the three countries have begun to jointly supervise the fishery ecology of Lake Victoria. As the saying goes, "where there is gain, there is a loss", although the introduction of the Nile perch has caused a huge ecological disaster to Lake Victoria, the Nile perch has also created an economic value that cannot be ignored.
In addition, due to the large size and strength of the Nile perch, it attracts fishing enthusiasts from all over the world to come to fish, which increases the income of the locals. But then again, if left unchecked, even the best fishery resources will run out of water.
(End)