Lake Nyasa fish fauna comprises more than 1000 species, mainly cichlids, and is thus
unique among freshwater lakes. But tension exists between motives either to conserve
or exploit the fish resource. In Lake Nyasa small scale fishery exploits the inshore
resources, principal fish taken are mainly cichlids which comprise up to 90% of the
total landings. Cichlids have low fecundity and are k-selected therefore have low rates
of recovery in face of stock collapse. Thus what is happening today in Lake Nyasa has great
consequences for tomorrow. Such a scenario provides the motive and desire for conservation
of the Lake Nyasa fish fauna. We care about biodiversity and we wish to maintain or conserve
it because we see value in biodiversity. The term, biodiversity has become so much of a
buzzword dominated global environmental debate, that it is often difficult to focus on the
critical issues that face society. The six categories of biodiversity values relevant to
Lake Nyasa are presented and discussed and the need to maintain biodiversity in Lake Nyasa
is deliberated using a poverty degradation feed-back cycle.