Impact of anthropogenic pollution and artisanal fishing on the population of Tilapia spp. Oreochromis niloticus and Oreochromis amphimelas in Lake Manyara, northern Tanzania

Abstract

Lakes are among the main sources of protein and livelihood to huge communities of rural people, and some of them house endemic fish species. The livelihood of about 200,000 rural people depends on Lake Manyara resources which also houses a pop- ulation of the endemic and endangered fish, the Man- yara Tilapia (Oreochromis amphimelas). Despite this importance, fishery in the lake is nearly under open access and it is not known how this has affected fish stocks. The lake is also under strong influence from