Nutritional Profile of Economically Valuable Fish Species in the Lake Victoria Basin: Implications for Food and Nutrition Security Among Local Communities

Abstract

Fish can help address human nutrient deficiencies but is often overlooked in nutrition policies due to insufficient evidence. This study evaluates the nutritional profiles of five economically significant fish species in the Lake Victoria Basin: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Nile perch (Lates niloticus), Silver cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), and lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus). A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Studies were screened based on their relevance, methodological rigor, and focus on moisture, ash, lipid, protein content, and fatty acid composition, resulting in the selection of 46 peer-reviewed studies published within the last 20 years. Nile tilapia contains 69.36%–80.03% moisture, 16.40%–23.47% protein, 0.08%–3.77% lipid, and significant omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (18.9%–33.0%). Nile perch exhibits similar moisture (67.30%–79.6%) and protein (15.93%–22.51%) levels, with lipid content of 0.59%–4.16% and omega-3 PUFAs (12.47%–33.0%). Silver cyprinid shows high variability in protein (15.44%–79.44%) and lipid (0.09%– 22.38%) content, with PUFAs comprising 21.68%–35.78%. African catfish has 69.16%–73.54% moisture, 19.93%–23.06% protein, and omega-3 PUFAs ranging from 27.9%–36.9%. Lungfish stands out for its fatty acid diversity, including 35.2%–49.2% PUFAs (13.0%–27.9% omega-3, 11.7%–30.0% omega-6). Although nutritional profiles vary due to environmental and biological factors, all species are nutrient-dense. Thus, promoting the sustainable harvesting and consumption of these fish can contribute substantially to improving dietary quality and nutrition security in communities reliant on Lake Victoria’s fisheries.