The Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) Secretariat convened a Regional Stakeholders Workshop from 8 to 10 June 2026 in Kigoma, Tanzania, to validate the report on the stock assessment of Lake Tanganyika’s three main commercial pelagic fish species: Lates stappersii, Limnothrissa miodon, and Stolothrissa tanganicae.
The workshop brought together members of the LTA Management Committee from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia, alongside representatives of fishing communities, the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI), development partners, and the LTA Secretariat.
Participants reviewed and validated the findings of the stock assessment conducted by TAFIRI during the 2025 dry season and the 2026 rainy season surveys. The assessment revealed significant seasonal and spatial variations in fish biomass across the lake, with an average estimated biomass of 116,000 metric tonnes, representing a decline of approximately 62 percent compared to the 1998 assessment.
The workshop also generated key recommendations on sustainable fisheries management, fisheries research and monitoring, biodiversity conservation, community livelihoods, and Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS). These recommendations will guide regional efforts to strengthen the sustainable management of Lake Tanganyika’s fisheries resources and enhance the resilience of its unique ecosystem.
