'The Saviour Fish'

A review of Mark Weston's The Saviour Fish: Life and Death on Africa's Greatest Lake

The widespread impacts of European occupation on post-colonial communities have long been documented, with compelling commentary on the socioeconomic and cultural burdens of a colonial legacy. What has recently been introduced in scientific literature, is the nuanced effect that colonization continues to have on fisheries and the communities that rely on them.

Mark Weston’s The Saviour Fish: Life and Death on Africa’s Greatest Lake (henceforth The Saviour Fish) is positioned in this space—exploring the modern consequences of British control of fishing in Ukerewe Island, Tanzania. With two years on the island, Weston recounts the relationships made and experiences had on Lake Victoria, once the most biodiverse place on Earth. Through personal anecdotes and retrospective research, Weston reflects upon the role that the commercialization of fishing and the introduction of Nile perch (or sangara) played in catalyzing what has been described as one of the “greatest mass extinction of vertebrates” observed by scientists (p.166). Weston argues that the establishment of multiple poorly regulated fisheries by the British led to a harmful boom and bust economy that has, since 1970, left the people of Ukerewe to pick up the pieces of a tarnished ecosystem and fragmented economy. In 216 pages, Mark Weston, a writer for the BBC, weaves travel writing with environmental reportage to paint an intimate picture of life in Tanzania, and the environmental and socioeconomic costs of colonization and biodiversity loss.

Weston’s writing presents in a narrative style, with anecdotes of his time spent in conversation with local characters like enigmatic preacher Vincent, and on illegal fishing trips in sacred villages. In between these encounters, Weston describes the natural history and colonial legacy of Lake Victoria (coined this by European explorers), as well as the enduring impact of its fisheries. In this, there is no clear organization of sections. However, my interpretation of the book categorized Weston’s connections drawn between colonization, the introduction of the ‘Saviour Fish’, and modern life in Ukerewe, into three main categories—ecology, economy, and culture.

Weston positions the colonial impact on Lake Victoria’s ecology as the impetus for subsequent socioeconomic and cultural shifts in Ukerewe. By the mid-20th century, Lake Victoria was a biodiverse phenom, with scientists coming from far and wide to study its abundance of cichlids. At the time, fishing was a recreational pastime, as locals ate only one of the hundreds of cichlid taxa—Ngege tilapia. However, British colonization and the commercialization of the fishery eventually led to the extinction of Ngege tilapia. As such, the British introduced non-native sangara to reinvigorate the industry in 1945. As is often the case, this came with detrimental ecological impacts, whereby the larger predators further periled remaining native fish and exacerbated the decline of the lake’s biodiversity. Weston argues that the British’s disregard of scientific warnings to reap immediate economic benefits ultimately led to the ecological collapse of Lake Victoria—instigating an onslaught of a “perfect storm” (p.123) of pollution and overfishing that would ravage the fish population and be felt heavily across the island.

Along this vein, Weston also makes a compelling case that British control also facilitated harmful overfishing and community vulnerabilities to its consequences—irrevocably altering the island’s economic landscape. Weston explains that colonization “transformed fishing from a subsistence into a commercial enterprise” (p. 64), as the British recognized the potential of the lake’s tilapia population, introducing new technologies for mass fishing and building railroads for export. Thus, as the industry became more profitable, increasing numbers of farmers “laid down their hoes to pick up nets” (p.64), shifting the economy from farming to fishing. Following the collapse of this fishery, locals considered the introduction of sangara a miracle, as the industry would eventually support more than 20 million people. Unfortunately, following the British retreat from Tanzania, a lack of domestic monitoring and enforcement capacity meant that overfishing once again ran rampant, with a lack of international buyers leaving many households in economic ruin. Weston notes that this could have been avoided without the introduction of British fishing technologies that shifted the economy from farming to fishing, leaving islanders without a profitable industry to fall back on.

Last, is Weston’s connection of colonization and subsequent overfishing to a shift in culture, regarding religion and the role of women. His interactions with various individuals—from preachers to healers to prostitutes—demonstrate the far-reaching impacts of colonization on the fabric of life in Ukerewe. Described as a “spiritual Las Vegas” (p.39), religion plays a massive role in the lives of islanders, with a variety of temples and churches at their disposal. Weston notes that this is likely due to the mass state of despair following the collapse of the fishery, leading many to look to a higher power or good fortune. Moreover, Weston’s conversations with local women, uncover connections between their role in Ukerewe and the fishing industry. Today, most men continue to fish for what is left between neighbouring islands, requiring much travel. As such, it is commonplace for women to be primary caregivers and tenders of property, for which they are underpaid. In addition to limited employment opportunities and workforce discrimination, this leaves many to marry young or enter into prostitution (a prevalent industry on the island). Weston draws nuanced connections between this reality and the role that colonization and the commercialization of Lake Victoria played in shaping the religious landscape and the role of women on the island.

Weston’s writing challenges George Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons narrative. Instead of labelling the Lake Victoria crisis as a consequence of common property, Weston argues that the actions of British colonizers pushed the lake into ecological ruin, creating a perfect storm for overfishing and a collapse of the Tanzanian fishing industry in Lake Victoria. In his Epilogue, Weston turns to Elinor Ostrom’s research to demonstrate that the Tragedy of the Commons, although a possibility, is not the default explanation for the exhaustion of resources such as fish. In fact, Ostrom’s research demonstrates that future management of the lake should have a “collective ethos” (p.202), whereby users are actively involved in deciding who and how the lake is used, increasing compliance and viability. In doing this, Weston adds to the conversation of community-led conservation and resource management, through a real-world example of how post-colonial communities continue to be affected by the remnant consequences of British control.

Throughout the book, Weston presents the gripping stories of those who live and work in Ukerewe—including seemingly mundane conversations and unique interactions—to create a sense of familiarity and fondness. By page 216, I found myself completely connected to these characters, concerned for their well-being, and interested in the impact the ‘Saviour Fish’ has had on their lives. Weston is unapologetic in his exploration of the realities of life on Ukerewe Island. While these details seem gratuitous at first, I came to appreciate Weston’s ability to connect them to larger concepts of colonization and resource use. The organization of the book into alternating chapters of anecdotes and research, while confusing at first, culminates in a compelling mix of foreshadowing and resolution, allowing me to come to my own conclusions without spelling them out for me. This required the time to truly reflect on his words and ultimately enhance my reading experience immensely.

Weston’s explanation of key historical and theoretical concepts would be helpful for the average audience. However, it should be noted that a lack of references for key facts could be problematic in an academic context. While citation-free text facilitated ease of reading, it left me wondering about the relevance or validity of his sources. As such, I would say that the text is indeed intended for a lay audience looking for a beautiful mix of travel whimsy and ecological investigation. For an academic audience, experienced in these concepts, the book is still extremely valuable in showcasing the real-world manifestation of post-colonialism and the widespread impact of colonization on once artisanal fisheries.

The Saviour Fish demonstrates that the sangara was anything but. I recommend this to anyone looking for nuanced insight into the real-world implications of post-colonial and economic theories for small island communities. Ultimately, Weston’s masterful weaving of mundane details with contextual research paints a haunting picture of the colonial legacy left behind by the British in the form of a singular fish—a fish that sparked unforeseen and unfortunate shifts in the lives of the fishers, children, parents, witches, and preachers on Ukerewe Island.