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| Lake Tanganyika |
US Government Decided Export Climate Change to Africa
Destroying Fish Stocks' in Lake Tanganyika and this US export started in the 60’s. A warming climate is the culprit and not local fishermen over fishing is not to blame for the falling fish harvests in Lake Tanganyika, according to new research findings published in the British journal Nature.
Lake Tanganyika has 18% of the world's fresh water the lake yields 200,000 tones of fish annually however sardines down by about 50% since 1970s the shortfall threatens the diets of the lake's shoreline countries of Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Catherine O'Reilly of New York's Vassar College.
The study was carried out by a team of researchers led by Vassar College. Lake Tanganyika, the second largest lake in the world, yields 200,000 tones of fish a year, an important source of food and revenue for the shoreline nations. The scientists found out that the harvest of sardines, the lake's main commercial fish, has declined by as much as 50% since the 1970s.
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| Cyphotilapia frontosa |
Poor mix:
This was caused by increased climate warming - air temperatures over the lake have increased by about 1.5 degrees Celsius, while wind speeds have diminished. With the temperature of deeper water rising less dramatically, this has resulted in less mixing of the layers, and algal growth has dropped by 20%.
This in turn has led to reduced food for several important fish species, such as sardines. As temperatures increase, the decline in the lake's productivity is expected to continue, according to Ms O'Reilly and her team of researchers.
Scientists have already predicted that central Africa's Great Lakes region, where Lake Tanganyika is situated, may face a temperature increase of up to 1.7 degrees Celsius over the next 80 years, suggesting a greater shortfall in fish harvests.
Other Lakes: "The human implications of such subtle, but progressive environmental changes are potentially dire in this densely populated region of the world, where large lakes are essential natural resources for regional economies," the researchers say.
They say the study shows that global climate change has had a greater impact on Lake Tanganyika than local human activity, such as farming. Lake Tanganyika, 650 kilometers long and 50 km wide, contains 18% of the planet's fresh water.
The researchers say that other lakes might be undergoing similar changes.
Like Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria. Why should I care I don't like sardines, well this is more than sardines or a lake. This all about the cichlid Cyphotilapia frontosa and this animal could become extinct in 80 to 100 years in the wild let me show you what your are not interested in.
This fish lives at depth of 100' in Lake Tanganyika and rises from the depths to the surface every morning to feed and it's food is becoming more difficult to find because of climate change are you really willing to see this beautiful animal become extinct in the wild?
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| Frontosa |
This fish lives at depth of 100' in Lake Tanganyika and rises from the depths to the surface every morning to feed and it's food is becoming more difficult to find because of climate change are you really willing to see this beautiful animal become extinct in the wild?
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