Overexploitation

Freshwater ecosystems are overexploited in many parts of the world, with fears that water scarcity will continue to increase where populations are still growing (e.g., in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America and the Middle East). The majority of water is used for agriculture, industry and energy production, with agriculture alone accounting for more than 70% of all water use worldwide and growing. Lack of adequate management of water resources is a key social, economic and environmental problem, with little cooperative management of invaluable water sources worldwide.

As well as water itself being heavily exploited, so too are the species within these habitats - the most obvious being fish. Other species are harvested for their meat, such as waterfowl and mammals; some for specific goods, such as hippos for ivory; others for their skins or medicinal properties; yet others are collected for the international pet and aquatics trade (in particular ornamental fish and amphibians). There are also instances where species are exploited through sport fishing or game hunting. 

Inland fisheries are of particular importance for the rural poor in developing countries who often rely on fish to fulfill their subsistence (especially protein) needs and to provide livelihoods. For example, in landlocked Uganda, consumption of fish was estimated in 2003 to provide between a quarter and half of all derived protein1. In addition, more than two million Ugandan people are estimated to be dependent on the open waters fishery sector and fish is the second most important export commodity after coffee, contributing an estimated 2.2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 20082 3.  With this reliance come problems of sustainability, especially where fishing is on a large scale and has moved away from traditional practices. As a result of overexploitation, a number of freshwater species in Uganda – and other fish-dependent countries are threatened.