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Adoption and consequences of new light-fishing technology (LEDs) on Lake Tanganyika, East Africa

View ORCID ProfileHuruma Mgana, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Catherine M. O’Reilly, Peter A. Staehr, Ismael A. Kimirei, Colin Apse, View ORCID ProfileCraig Leisher, Magnus Ngoile, Peter B. McIntyre
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/619007
Huruma Mgana
Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Kigoma, TanzaniaDepartment of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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  • For correspondence: hmgana@gmail.com
Benjamin M. Kraemer
Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Catherine M. O’Reilly
Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
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Peter A. Staehr
Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Ismael A. Kimirei
Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Kigoma, Tanzania
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Colin Apse
The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia, USA
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Craig Leisher
The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia, USA
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Magnus Ngoile
Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Peter B. McIntyre
Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Abstract

Maintaining sustainable fisheries requires understanding the influence of technological advances on catch efficiency. Fisheries using light sources for attraction could be widely impacted by the shift to light emitting diode (LED) light systems. We studied the transition from kerosene lanterns to LED lamps in Lake Tanganyika, East Africa, examining factors that led to adoption as well as the impact of the new light sources on fish catch and composition. We used a combination of field experiments with catch assessments, fisher surveys, underwater light spectra measurements, and cost assessments to evaluate the impact of switching from kerosene to LED lamps. Overall, we found a very rapid rate of adoption of homemade outdoor LED light systems in Lake Tanganyika. Most of the batteries used to power these lamps were charged from the city power grid, rather than photovoltaic cells. The LED light spectra was distinct from the kerosene light and penetrated much deeper into the water column. Regardless of light type, most of the fish caught within the two dominant species were below maturity, indicating that current fishery is not sustainable. Although the LED lamps were associated with a slight increase in catch, environmental factors, particularly distance offshore, were generally more important in determining fish catch size and composition. The main advantages of the LED lamps were the lower operating costs and their robustness in bad weather. Overall, the use of battery-powered LED lighting systems to attract fish in Lake Tanganyika appears to reduce economic costs but not contribute new impacts on the fishery.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
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Posted April 25, 2019.
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Adoption and consequences of new light-fishing technology (LEDs) on Lake Tanganyika, East Africa
Huruma Mgana, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Catherine M. O’Reilly, Peter A. Staehr, Ismael A. Kimirei, Colin Apse, Craig Leisher, Magnus Ngoile, Peter B. McIntyre
bioRxiv 619007; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/619007
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Adoption and consequences of new light-fishing technology (LEDs) on Lake Tanganyika, East Africa
Huruma Mgana, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Catherine M. O’Reilly, Peter A. Staehr, Ismael A. Kimirei, Colin Apse, Craig Leisher, Magnus Ngoile, Peter B. McIntyre
bioRxiv 619007; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/619007

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