Technical Efficiency of the Nile Perch Fishing Fleet on Lake Victoria: A Comparative Perspective on the Three Riparian Countries Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda

Lake Victoria, which is shared by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, faces escalating concerns over sustainable fisheries amidst expanding fishing efforts. This study aims to investigate how technical efficiency (TE) and labor productivity (LP) of the Nile perch fishing fleet vary across the three riparian countries. Using a nine-year dataset spanning from 2005 to 2021 and employing Stochastic Frontier Analysis, this study evaluates the TE of the fleet, where LP is determined as catch per crew hour fished in a day for three vessel types: motorized, paddled, and sailed. Motorized fleets had the highest mean technical efficiency (0.60–0.66), compared to paddled (0.29–0.49), and sailed vessel categories (0.24–0.46). Sailed vessels declined in all countries owing to their low TE. In Kenya, TE and LP increased for paddled vessels, especially in the period from 2015 to 2021, and a slight increase was also indicated for motorized vessels. Conversely, Uganda and Tanzania experienced gradual declines in TE and LP, particularly from 2015 to 2021, a period of rigorous law enforcement that led to declines in the number of paddled vessels by 50% and 7%, respectively, and a contrasting increase in motorized vessels. By 2021, the number of Ugandan motorized vessels had increased greatly but TE had declined compared to Kenya and Tanzania, a sign of overcapacity. The findings underscore the need for region-specific policies that address economic differences, policy implementation impacts, and resource health to promote sustainable transboundary fisheries management on Lake Victoria.