The socio-economic implications of illegal fishing practices in Lake Victoria: A case study of three Villages in Tanzania

Illegal fishing is a threat to the sustainability of fisheries in Lake Victoria and this paper examines the influence of socio-economic factors on illegal fishing practices. The study was conducted in three villages around Nyegezi Bay of Lake Victoria where a total of 240 households were surveyed. Results indicate that there is highly significant correlation between illegal fishing and ages in one of the study villages, but this was not the case in the others, which suggests that age alone is not a sufficient factor to explain illegality. Further findings reveal that there is highly significant positive correlation between income and education on one hand and on another hand income and residence, which suggests that poverty is a driver of illegalities when linked to the education and residence. In addition, there is highly significant negative correlation between residence and education revealing a migration of poorly-educated people, probably for search of employment opportunities. Generally, the study has shown that there exists direct correlation between socio-economic factors with illegal fishing practices. Based on the findings, we suggest that improving the social and economic statuses of these community through improving education and increasing opportunities for alternative sources of livelihoods may help address the issue of illegality in these areas.Keywords: Age, Employment, Illegal fishing, Income, management measures, Poverty