Fishers advised to stop using bomba nets

Fishers plying their trade in Lake Chilwa have been advised to stop using the newly introduced bomba (bomb) fishing nets as they are a threat to aquatic life.

Machinga district agriculture development officer (Dado) Edward Katunga said this on Tuesday at Mposa along Lake Chilwa during a meeting organised by the Word Fish Organisation (WFO) to brainstorm on how to protect the few fish species remaining in the lake.

WFO research officer Asaph Chijere said due to the lake’s low levels, fishers manufactured bomba nets from mosquito nets to catch a lot of fish, including small ones.

He described the bomba nets as pathetic as they pose a threat to fish species the lake is well-known for.

Group Village Head (GVH) Mtumbula said communities are committed to set by-laws to curb the malpractice.

“We appeal to government to strengthen the by-laws we will set by deploying security officers along the fishing grounds,” he said.

WFO, with technical support from the Lake Chilwa Basin Adaptation Programme (LCBAP) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, is working with fisheries offices and Machinga, Zomba and Phalombe district councils in raising awareness to fishers on the negative effects of using illegal fishing methods. n