Large quantity of fish being caught illegally on Lakes Bangweulu and Mweru

The large quantity of fish is being caught illegally on Lake Bangweulu and Lake Mweru fisheries in the Luapula province.

This is according to a presentation made by a technical group on fisheries during the Programme for Luapula Agriculture and Rural Development (PLARD) midterm review meeting yesterday.

The group was among other things tasked to come up with means and ways of improve fishing resource management on the Bangweulu and Mweru fisheries.

According to the group’s presentation 218,000 of illegal nets are in use on the Mweru fishery, while 44,800 are being employed by fishermen on the Bangweulu fishery.

The group said the large quantity of fish harvested in the Mweru and Bangweulu fisheries were being caught illegally.

And to address the problem the technical group the introduction of community based fisheries management.

The group said engaging the community would increase interaction between the Department of Fisheries and local fishing communities to find common ground on best fishing practices that can ensure sustainable use of the fish resource.

It also proposed that the ministry of finance financial management Act must be revised so that communities can be involved in the collection of revenue, a move that would maximise licensing of fishers operating in the two fishing areas.

The technical group on fisheries observed that currently only K50 million is realised by government from licensing 20,000 fishers operating in the Bangweulu fishery and 100,000 engaged in fishing around Lake Mweru.

“What government is getting now is only K50 million from licensing of fishers, which is half of the actual revenue and a huge loss of revenue to government,” the group observed.

The group said the rationale of using people within fishing communities is that they know the people involved in fishing, thereby it will reduce fishermen evading paying licence fees.

Further it proposed that under the community based fisheries management part of the revenue part of the revenue will have to be ploughed back into communities to enable them develop their areas and conduct fish conservation activities.

One of the group members Killian Kalonga told the meeting that apart from increasing revenue, involving communities to collect revenue is one of the best ways of sustaining a community based fisheries management system.
ZANIS/