Słuchaj i ucz się – S-22. Nile Perch

Voice 1

Hello. I'm Elizabeth Lickiss.

Voice 2

And I'm Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

What are you wearing on your feet right now? Maybe you are wearing plastic summer shoes. Or maybe you are wearing soft shoes made of cloth. Are you wearing strong leather shoes made from animal skin? Footwear comes in many shapes and sizes. But one thing is sure. You are probably not wearing shoes made from fish. But one day you may. Brightly coloured fish skin shoes are becoming very popular in the African city of Kampala, Uganda.

Voice 2

A company called Crane owns the shoe factory. One of the workers in the factory is Innocent Rwabuky. Innocent makes the shoes a perfect fit. He places a piece of paper on the floor. The man buying the shoes stands on the paper. Innocent then makes the shape of the man's feet on the paper. Innocent will use these feet shapes to make the shoes. He takes the man into another room - the tannery. Here the fish skins are hanging up. Innocent has coloured the skins red, green, yellow and blue. In fact Innocent will create any colour you want. It is hard to choose which colour is best. And, although the shoes are made of fish skin they do not smell. Innocent says,

Voice 3

'Do not worry, you will not end up with fishy feet! The shoes are good to wear. And they will be ready within twenty-four hours'.

Voice 1

Innocent uses Nile Perch fish to make the shoes. He takes them from the nearby Lake Victoria. The Nile Perch have not always been present in the lake. People released them into the water fifty years ago. It was part of an experiment. The experiment was to create a new industry for local people. But many people were concerned at the time. They believed that the Nile fish would eat other local fish. They have been proved right. Many smaller kinds of fish have disappeared. In the past, seventy percent of fish in Lake Victoria were Haplochromis - small boney fish. But over the past fifty years that has decreased to one per cent. Nile Perch can grow up to two metres long. They can weigh two hundred kilograms. They have competed with the other fish for survival - and they have won!

Voice 2

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation started the shoe factory. The factory now produces more than one thousand sets of shoes each month. But the people at the factory are not just making shoes. They have started to design other things. Now you can buy a fish belt to tie around your waist. Women can choose a handbag to carry their money and documents.

Voice 1

But it is not all good news. Karen Onyango lives in the town of Kisumu, Kenya. She too depends on the Nile Perch fish. She is a fish drier. Karen waits by a truck carrying fish. The truck driver is taking them to the fish factories in Kisumu. Karen is gathering remains of Nile Perch. These are the pieces of fish that the factories do not want. She will spend the whole day preparing the fish - cutting, drying and cooking. Then, at night, she will sell the pieces of fish by the roadside.

Voice 2

But today there are less and less fish for her to collect. Karen fears that the lake is being over-fished. Big industries are fishing. They take huge numbers of fish from the waters. They export the good fish to other countries. The industry is worth one hundred and forty million dollars each year. Karen is concerned. She fears that there will not be enough fish for local people. She says,

Voice 4

'They are taking everything. Someone like me cannot even get one single fish'.

Voice 1

Richard Abila has been studying the Nile Perch. He is an expert on Lake Victoria. He says that in the beginning Nile Perch fishing was like a gold mine. Suddenly the lake was producing large fish. People could sell the fish in large amounts. Everyone wanted a part of this business. Some people made a lot of money. So why are these people still not rich? Bernard Onyango is a local fisherman. He remembers those times. He says,

Voice 5

'People got lots of money - but some of them did not plan well. That is why many people living near the lake are still poor. They spent the money. They did not think of the future'.

Voice 1

It is a difficult situation. Once there was a lot of money in the area. People had a chance to live a good life. But now a lack of fish is causing problems. Some women are selling their bodies for sex. It is the only way they can survive. As a result diseases and viruses like HIV are becoming more common. The lake borders Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. The lack of fish has now produced competition between the fishing communities. Uganda has tried to control the amount of fish taken from the lake. But other countries have been less willing to do so. Newspapers often report violence between the fishermen.

Voice 2

The get 'rich quick experience' of many who live in the area has not brought happiness. They have found it hard to deal with having a lot of money. They have failed to plan for the future. They have not made wise decisions. The companies that continue to over-fish the lake are experiencing problems too. Soon they will take so many fish from the lake that it will not recover. Then everyone will suffer Karen, the shoe factory and all those in the fishing industry.

Voice 1

Richard Abila believes that releasing the Nile Perch into Lake Victoria was good. It did destroy other sorts of fish. But it has been good for the local population. It has provided work, money and industry. It has produced much wealth. But wealth also comes with responsibility. Richard is now working with governments and officials in the fish industry. Together they are working to keep Lake Victoria healthy. They are researching the needs of the local population. Richard is sure that with careful control it will be possible to produce a good result for everyone.

Voice 2

The writer and producer of today's programme was Elizabeth Lickiss. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. You can find this programme on our website: www.radio.english.net. This programme is called 'Nile Perch'.

Voice 1

We love to hear comments and questions from our listeners. You can reach us by email. Our address is radio @ english . net. Thank you for joining us in today's programme. Goodbye.