Jipe tilapia (Oreochromis jipe)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 162513841

Helping Jipe Communities to Protect Critically Endangered Jipe Tilapia Oreochromis jipe and Ecosystem in Lake Jipe Tanzania

Unsustainable human activities carried out in the catchments areas of the Lake Jipe ecosystem have brought the species to endangered status and also causing decline of some other fish species. Lake Jipe Tilapia, Oreochromis jipe is among of the freshwater fishes within the ecosystem listed by IUCN (2006) as critically endangered species throughout its range. Some conservation measures have been considered and addressed in the past but focused on human activities in this wetland and the interactions between economic activities and ecological functions. These conservation measures led to the decline in illegal fishing practices and pressure though it gave a room for further degradation as it did not involve farmers, livestock keepers, fish processors, and boat and gear makers. Ecological survey discovered localized Jipe Tilapia breeding and nursery grounds in the south and north-eastern part of the Lake-which led to the establishment of ‘Local Reserve Areas-LRA’. These habitats however suffers from juvenile predation, siltation from soil erosion prone areas, unsustainable agricultural and livestock keeping practices. Therefore creation of fish sanctuaries within the same network is recommended so as to realize ecological and social-economic benefits. The project main objective is to improve Jipe Tilapia population through community involvement in the creation and governance of fish sanctuaries and promote best practices in agriculture and livestock keeping. The specific objectives are:

•  Improve governance of Jipe Tilapia ecosystem by strengthening capacity of BMUs and District Authorities.

• Support and improve Jipe Tilapia abundance through community involvement in the creation of fish sanctuaries within a network of Local Reserve Areas.
• Reduce threat and expand public awareness and skills on the best agricultural and livestock keeping practices.