Status of Ornamental Fish Cyphotilapia Frontosa Trade From Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania

This study focused on assessing the status of ornamental fish Cyphotilapia frontosa trade from Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania to provide a good ground for interested parties to undertake well-designed interventions to protect wild stock from depletion. Purposive sampling was used to select fishers and traders of ornamental fish from Katonga, Mwamugongo and Ilagala villages in Kigoma for interview. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions and questionnaires were used for primary data collection. The results showed that much attention is paid during handling and packaging of ornamental fish from collection point to destination to maximize their survival rate. However, there were declining trends of ornamental fish exportation from 15,398 to 12,722 between 2013 and 2019. Ornamental fish C. frontosa are sold in pairs and the most common sex ratio traded was 1 male:3 females. The most price used in trading C. frontosa ranged from USD16 to USD20. Ornamental fish C. frontosa was a good source of income for local communities and the nation at large. It could generate about TZS 159,516,000/= per year per company from exporting C. frontosa . China was the leading foreign market for ornamental fish C. frontosa from Tanzania. Legal frameworks are important components in the fishery and trade of ornamental fish. There should be ornamental fish breeding of C. frontosa in the country to avoid much dependence on fishing from the Lake hence it will ensure the sustainability of the fishery of ornamental fishes and their trade from one generation to another.