Fishermen continue to defy constant warnings against illegal fishing gear

* As Fisheries Department, Nkhata Bay District Council, Ripple Africa burn over 200 illegal fishing gear that was confiscated

* We have a lot of illegal fishing gears on the lake Malawi that are not acceptable within the framework of Fisheries Act

* Fishers who are still resisting to change warned that the law shall keep taking its course

By Chisomo Kambandanga, MANA

Despite constant awareness and warnings against using illegal fishing gear, fishermen on Malawi lake waters continue to defy the law, which affects efforts by the Department of Fisheries and other stakeholders in fish management.

This was observed on Thursday when the Fisheries Department, in collaboration with Nkhata Bay District Council and Ripple Africa, burned over 200 illegal fishing gears that were confiscated in the beaches of Lake Malawi worth K40 million.

In an interview during the burning exercise at Nkhafu dumping site in the area of Senior Chief Mkumbira, Nkhata Bay District Commissioner, Rodgers Newa said this is a sign that the council together with partners are committed to preserving fish in the district.

“We have a lot of illegal fishing gears on the lake Malawi that are not acceptable within the framework of Fisheries Act,” he said. “This affects our efforts in fish management and as a control measure, we intensified patrols, identified illegal fishers and confiscated the gears and the law provides that we need to burn them so that they are not found on the lake.”

Newa added that these illegal fishing gears harvest immature fish which is making the district to lose a lot of fish, which affects revenue collection for the Council, among others things.

“In our continued efforts of patrols, we have a committee that checks in shops to make sure that only multifilament gears that are recommended by government are sold unlike the monofilaments which endangers aquatic life.”

Newa thus commended Ripple Africa and all stakeholders working hand in hand with the Council to sensitise fishers about recommended legal fishing gears as they cannot do it all by themselves due to resource constraints.

He also warned fishers who are still resisting to change that the law shall keep taking its course.

On his part, country director for Ripple Africa, Force Ngwira expressed commitment to continue supporting the Council with resources through their fish conservation program: “Our role is to support Nkhata Bay District Council financially because for fisheries department to go for patrols and confiscate these illegal fishing gears, they need resources and we remain committed to support.”

Ngwira added that most illegal fishing gear were confiscated by beach village committees and fisheries associations and chairperson for Mkumbira Sub-Fisheries Association, Andrew Kamanga said they will keep on sensitising people in the district on responsible fishing and appealed for continued support from government and developmental partners.

At the end of a two-day fisheries stakeholder meeting held in Monkey Bay, Mangochi in May, Senior Chief Lulanga urged stakeholders in fisheries industry in the country to fully enforce ban on monofilaments use on Lake Malawi, saying the fishing malpractice was counterproductive.

The stakeholder meeting was organised by Pact Malawi, through the Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihood (REFRESH) project that was funded the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), brought together traditional leaders, fisheries officers and local fisheries management authorities from Mangochi, Dedza and Nkhotakota.

Senior Chief Lulanga, who was among other chiefs from Mponda, Makanjira and Nankumba, emphasised that the use of monofilament has become common practice in Mangochi, and further observed that the malpractice endangers existing fish species on Lake Malawi.

“Stakeholders should learn from Tanzania which successfully made disappearance of monofilaments on their lakes,” he said. “We can also manage by monitoring the importation of gears from Zambia where such illegal gear comes from.”

He commended coordination by different stakeholders on the ban of some fishing gears on Lake Malawi, saying the move helped to restore species of some endangered fish including chambo.

“For a long time, we have been trained on how to effectively manage fish especially through sanctuaries. This has brought back the Chambo in large quantities and is now being sold in our cities such as Blantyre and Lilongwe.”

REFRESH’s deputy chief of party, Amakhosi Jere described traditional leaders as catalysts for effective enforcement on the ban of the illegal fishing on Lake Malawi, while expressing the project’s commitment in dealing with fishing malpractices by engaging the media, fishers, traders that import and sell illegal fishing gears.

He added that formulation of national and district level stakeholder taskforces will be a move in the right direction in dealing with use of illegal fishing gears on the lake

REFRESH project, which started in October 2019, is meant to enhance management and conserving fish biodiversity in Lake Malawi and in April, Ripple Africa and Nkhotakota District Council, through the Department of Fisheries, also burned illegal fishing gear that was confiscated in all beaches of Lake Malawi valued at K800 million.

Ripple Africa’s country director, Force Ngwira told the media that through various projects they are implementing Nkhotakota, the organisation has managed to confiscate about 900 illegal fishing gear in collaboration with the district council, law enforcers, fisheries associations and village beach committees in all traditional authorities.

Among the fishing gear that was burned included monofilaments and mosquito nets that were confiscated between 2017 to 2023 at Mtaya area in the area of Traditional Authority Malengachanzi.

Vice-chairperson for Nkhotakota District Council, Fitoni Khofi said they had set alternative livelihoods for people living along the lake by considering them into various government programmes to avoid the issues of illegal fishing that are fueling illegal fishing gear.—Edited by Maravi Express