Fishing in Rwanda
Senior 4 · Geography
Fishing in Rwanda
Lesson 2 of 4
25 min
On Lake Kivu, isambaza are fished at night by teams of three canoes joined by long poles. A lamp attracts the fish; a net hanging beneath the canoes is then hauled up. In December 2020 a Ministerial Order fixed the gear each fishery may use, down to the millimetre (RAB, 2021). Figure 2 compares the lift net with the gill net used for larger fish.
Figure 2. Two legal fishing methods in Rwanda. Drawn by Ganzaa from the gear rules of the Ministerial Order of 11 December 2020, as published by RAB.
Why does the mesh size matter so much? Think about what a net with very small holes would catch, and what would then be left to breed next season.
Definition
Fishing method (gear): the equipment and technique used to catch fish, such as a net, line or trap. Mesh size: the width of a hole in a net; larger meshes let young fish escape.
Selective gear: gear that catches mainly fish of the target species and size. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing: fishing that breaks the rules, for example with banned nets, without a licence, or in a closed season.
| Method | How it works | Main target and place | Rule (Ministerial Order, 2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lift net from a trimaran, with lamps | At night a lamp draws plankton and fish towards the surface; the net hung between the outer canoes is lifted | Isambaza, Lake Kivu | Mesh at least 6 mm; monofilament nets banned |
| Gill net | A wall of net hangs from floats to sinkers; fish swim in and stick behind the gills | Tilapia and carp; Haplochromis | Tilapia and carp: at least 4 in (10.16 cm); Haplochromis: more than 1.5 in (3.81 cm) |
| Hook and line, long lines | Baited hooks on a hand line, or many hooks on one long line left overnight | Catfish (Clarias) and lungfish (Protopterus) | Long lines allowed; gill nets at least 6 cm |
| Basket traps | Woven funnels set in streams and swamps; fish enter but cannot find the way out | Small fish in rivers and swamps | Traditional, small scale |
| Mosquito nets, kaningini snares | Very fine mesh catches everything, including eggs, larvae and fingerlings | Poaching on Lake Kivu | Illegal |
Source: RAB (2021), quoting Article 18 of the Ministerial Order of 11 December 2020.
Traditional methods (traps, hand lines, single dugout canoes) need little money but catch little. Modern methods (lift nets on trimarans, gill nets of legal mesh, cages, which you will meet in the next lesson) catch more and, if the rules are kept, are more selective.
Worked example 1: is this net legal?
A fisher on Lake Muhazi sets a gill net for tilapia with a mesh of 2.5 inches. Using :
The mesh is too small, so the net is illegal for tilapia.
Interpretation. A smaller mesh catches young tilapia before they have bred. Each year fewer adults remain, so catches fall even though the fisher's catch today looks larger. Mesh rules trade a smaller catch now for a sustained catch later.
Fresh fish spoils within hours in a warm climate, because bacteria and the fish's own enzymes break down the flesh. Preservation slows this down so that fish can be stored and sent to inland markets.
| Method | How it works | Rwandan evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Chilling on ice, refrigeration, freezing | Cold slows bacteria; freezing almost stops them | MINAGRI (2023) calls for private investment in a national cold chain; frozen tilapia fillets are imported |
| Sun-drying | Removing water stops bacteria growing; dried fish is light and keeps for weeks | Dried small fish are sold in local markets (photo below); dried small pelagic fish make up much of the imports |
| Smoking | Heat and smoke dry the fish and add chemicals that slow spoilage | MINAGRI (2023) plans support for "traditional products (e.g., dried, smoked)" |
| Salting | Salt draws water out of the flesh | Often combined with drying |
Worked example 2: how much lighter is dried fish?
Illustrative data. A trader dries 50 kg of fresh small fish containing 78% water. The dried product contains 15% water. The dry matter does not change.
Interpretation. Drying cuts the mass to about a quarter (), so the same protein costs far less to transport and keeps without power. The cost is labour, exposure to dust and insects, and a lower price per kilogram of protein than fresh, chilled fish in city markets.
Fish conservation means managing fishing so that the stock can renew itself year after year. Rwanda uses several measures:
| Measure | Rwandan example |
|---|---|
| Gear rules | Minimum mesh sizes and a ban on monofilament nets (Ministerial Order, 11 December 2020) |
| Licences and penalties | A licence can be suspended for three months for a first offence and for a year, or revoked, for a second (RAB, 2021); poachers face up to six months in prison or a fine of Frw 50,000–500,000 (Rwanda National Police, 2022) |
| Closed periods | Fishing is suspended for a restocking period, and fishers are asked to respect it (Rwanda National Police, 2019) |
| Patrols | In three months of 2022, police marine operations on Lake Kivu seized 483 illegal fishing gears and 56 substandard boats (Rwanda National Police, 2022) |
| Buffer zones | A 50 m strip of permanent vegetation is required around protected water bodies, to stop soil and farm chemicals reaching the water (Rwanda National Police, 2019) |
| Cooperatives and training | From 27 to 31 October 2025, REMA trained 197 fisher, farmer and boat-operator representatives from the five Lake Kivu districts (REMA, 2025) |
Warning
Preservation is not conservation. Preservation keeps a fish that has already been caught from going bad (drying, smoking, chilling). Conservation protects the living stock in the lake (mesh sizes, closed periods, patrols). Exam answers often mix them up.
RBA (Rwanda Broadcasting Agency) news, January 2020: fishers on Lake Kivu describe nights of about 12 hours on the water. Notice the joined canoes and nets, and why the fishers depend on a healthy stock.
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Sources: How legal fishing gears improved sambaza fishing in Lake Kivu, RAB, 2021 (Ministerial Order of 11 December 2020: gear rules and licence penalties; trimaran teams); Over 480 illicit fishing nets seized from poachers in Lake Kivu, Rwanda National Police, 10 November 2022; Lake Kivu: Police urges against illegal fishing practices, Rwanda National Police, 4 December 2019 (restocking periods, 50 m buffer zone); Empowering fishermen, farmers and wetland users: training on sustainable management of Lake Kivu, REMA, 31 October 2025; National Aquaculture Strategy for Rwanda, MINAGRI and RAB, 2023 (cold chain, dried and smoked products, imports).
Figure 2, the tables and the worked examples were drawn and written by Ganzaa.
Photos: Night Fishing, Rasse2, CC BY-SA 4.0; Fish Trap Used by Ancient Rwandans, Adygrafix250, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ubucuruzi bwi indagara bugesera, ROSEMURA250, CC BY-SA 4.0; via Wikimedia Commons.
Video: "Fishermen on Lake Kivu say it takes about 12 hours for them to catch a substantial amount of fish", RwandaTV (RBA), embedded from YouTube. The rest of the lesson and the exercises were written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Put the steps of isambaza lift-net fishing in order.
Tap the cards in the right order.
