Movement and home range of introduced Nile perch (Lates niloticus) in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda: Implications for ecological divergence and fisheries management

Abstract

Nile perch (Lates niloticus) was introduced to the Lake Victoria basin in the 1950s and 1960s and eventually became one of the most valuable commercial species of East Africa's inland fisheries. Intense fishing-induced mortality may be contributing to dramatic ecological change in this species (reductions in body size and catch rate) and reinforcing patterns of ecological divergence in some lakes in the region. We used radio telemetry to characterize Nile perch movement and home range size in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda and quantified patterns of habitat selection by Nile perch in the heavily-fished near-shore areas of this system. Nile perch exhibited high site tenacity with daily movement averaging ∼400m/day and home range size averaging 0.83km2. Body size and water temperature were both important predictors of Nile perch movement patterns. In the near-shore area of the lake, Nile perch selected regions characterized by low temperature and high oxygen conditions, and tended to prefer forest edge over wetland edge. The level of site tenacity exhibited by Nile perch suggests that ecological isolation between fish using forest and wetland ecotones may be higher than expected. These results also have important implications for development of territorial jurisdiction by Beach Management Units, the decentralized structure of fisheries management in the region.