Fisheries resources support livelihoods of fishing communities but are threatened by over-exploitation, habitat degradation, pollution, invasive species and climate change. Unlike the other threats, climate change has received limited consideration and reducing its risks requires appropriate adaptation strategies. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to generate knowledge on fishers' perceptions of climate change, changes in climate variables and their impacts on livelihoods, adaptation strategies, constraints to adaptation and required interventions to promote adaptation strategies that would enable fishers to build resilience to sustain their livelihoods. We found that fishers were aware of changes in climate conditions manifested by unpredictable seasons, floods and droughts. Fishing remained the main livelihood activity. However, the dominance of fishes had changed from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) to the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell). Floods and droughts were associated with damage to gears, boats, landing sites and changes in fish catches and sizes, income from fishing and fish consumption. The fishers adapted by increasing time on fishing grounds and changing target species and fishing gear among other things. Some innovative fishers diversified to high-value crops and livestock. This increased their income beyond what was solely earned from fishing which provided an incentive for some of them to quit fishing. Livelihood diversification was enhanced by use of communications technology, membership of social groups, increasing fishing days and fishing experience. Adaptation was, however, constrained by limited credit, awareness and access to land, which require interventions such as improving access to credit, irrigation facilities, appropriate planting materials and awareness raising. We identified adaptation strategies, which if promoted and their constraints addressed, could increase resilience of fishers to the influence of climate change and sustain their livelihoods.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Freshwater shes are the second most threatened group of vertebrates after amphibians. In most developing countries, the conservation of freshwater shes is largely hampered by limited information and data. The Red List assessments by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provide a benchmark for conservation and planning, but these assessments require, inter alia, quantitative information on the species range in the wild. This information is largely missing for many species that face extinction threats. In this paper, we combined species occurrence data, expert knowledge, and literature to review and update the distribution of non-Haplochromis sh species native to Uganda and determine their geographical extent relative to the global range. Results showed that (i) at least 110 non-Haplochromis species occur in Uganda, (ii) the current status in the entire native range for more than 60% of these species is unknown; (iii) ve species previously known to occur in Uganda: Amphilius kivuensis, Bagrus degeni, Marcusenius macrolepidotus, Petrocephalus catostoma, and Lacustricola pumilus lack a native locus and hence not Ugandan shes, (iv) 17 species occur in areas beyond their previously known range, and therefore, their presence needs further investigations, preferably by examining specimen collections, and (v) majority of the non-Haplochromis species native to Uganda have a wide distribution outside the national boundaries. We anticipate this information to be relevant both for the national and global IUCN Red List assessments for the non-Haplochromis shes in Uganda. Furthermore, the identi ed data gaps will be relevant in prioritizing limited resources during surveys and collections.

No abstract

No abstract