The East African Community is set to impose new rules regulating fishing activities on Lake Victoria.

The measures include the licensing of fishermen accessing the water body and inspecting fishing equipment presently not governed by any policies.

The Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO) executive secretary, Thomas Maembe, said the measures were in reaction to dwindling fish stocks in Lake Victoria.

"Once the rules are enacted, we can control the number of fishermen accessing the lake. The fishing pressure on Lake Victoria is overwhelming and the time to act is now," said Mr Maembe.

The number of fishermen has risen to 130,000 leading to over-exploitation of the fish stocks. Fishing craft have grown by 63 per cent from 42, 493 in 2006 to 69,160 in 2007.

Experts have warned that overexploitation would adversely affect the popular Nile Perch and Tilapia among other species on the lake. Recent statistics from the Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development (UCSD) show that the average weight for Nile Perch catch has dropped from between 15 to 45 kilogrammes five years ago to between two and five kilos due to premature harvesting.

In the country, there has been a drop in 50 per cent of the Nile Perch catches between 2004 and last year. Total Nile perch catches have gone down from 1.8 million tones in 1999 to 450,000 in 2007, according to Uganda Fish Exporters Association.

The scenario is the same in Kenya with total fish catches reducing drastically from 200,159 tonnes in 1999 to 141,252, a figure recorded last year by the fisheries department.

Mr Maembe said that LVFO would be seeking more funds to help communities living around the lake to venture into other economic activities to reduce their reliance on fish.

He said that proposals had been approved by the East African council of ministers.

Among other considerations include the development of aquaculture and introduction of horticulture among the communities to ensure that the number of those that directly rely on fishing is cut down.

Mr Maembe was speaking when he toured some of the fishery projects around Lake Victoria.

He added that rising demand for fish in the export market and the rapid increase in industries dealing in fish had threatened some of the species, especially Nile Perch.

Speaking during the function, a Kenyan senior fisheries officer, Michael Obadha, said the sector would get funding from the European Union to improve the beaches.