The latest survey indicates 76 per cent of species in the lake are threatened with extinction. The report shows delicacies like tilapia varieties, crabs, shrimps, dragonflies and indigenous aquatic plants could be gone in the near future because of attack from hostile organisms. Pollution from industrial and agricultural sources, over-harvesting and land clearance are among the primary threats to biodiversity in this region. Water hyacinth and Nile Perch also threaten the natural biodiversity and affect 73 per cent of the threatened species, says the report, “Freshwater Biodiversity in the Lake Victoria Basin”. The report was prepared by Ugandan scientists and researchers from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, a large Switzerland-based NGO considered the world’s main authority on the conservation of species. “The Lake Victoria Basin is incredibly rich in unique species found nowhere else on earth, yet its biodiversity is being decimated. “The effects on communities that depend on the lake for their livelihoods could be disastrous,” says Will Darwall, head of IUCN’s freshwater biodiversity unit and a co-author. Rivers flowing into the lake from Kenya contribute over 37 per cent of the largest of the lake’s surface water inflows. “Increased fishing pressure in the lake has resulted in decreases in catch per unit especially for the tilapiine species. Use of unsustainable fishing methods contribute to overexploitation,” the report says.