Chambo Fisheries says can restock Lake Malawi with chambo
Chambo Fisheries, a Blantyre-based fish farming company, has said it has capacity to restock Lake Malawi with chambo.
Speaking in an interview last week, Irfan Bheda, a Chambo Fisheries official, said given a chance, the company has the technical capacity to restock the lake with chambo within a reasonable timeframe.
Bheda said restocking oceans, lakes and rivers with fish raised in land-based hatcheries is a common practice in other parts of the world.
“There is no reason the same can’t be done in Malawi. Restocking the lake would give the ever declining fish stocks a chance to recover,” he said.
He said restocking of lakes and rivers is generally done by government agencies in conjunction with the private sector, citing Canada, Chile and Canada as some of the countries that have successfully undertaken such an exercise.
“Chambo Fisheries has a state-of-the-art hatchery, which has the capacity to produce up to 15 million fingerlings annually,” said Bheda.
The company’s suggestion follows observations that there are low levels of chambo stocks in the lake, mainly due to over fishing and government regulations being ignored.
This is total insane!!!..Let this company refer to the Chambo Restoration Strategic Plan before it puts into action its proposal. Where is Malawi – Department of Fisheries, Chancellor College – Biology Department, LUANAR’s Aquaculture & Fisheries Department and the NEPAD Regional Fish Node…Please help this madness and craziness proposed by this company. Who says Chambo is dwindling? Have seriously thought of resilient and stable ecosystems, show us the proof which is beyond just mere observations. Its high time Malawi appreciates scientific input into its policies not these mere sweeping statements by business private companies who are based on profit maximization. Wake up Malawi…
nonsense…… the gvt must maintain its STRICT regulations and PUNISH those who break or ignore them, don’t tell us your dreams, wake up.