Department of Fisheries Intensifies Law Enforcement Around Lake Chiuta
The Department of Fisheries which is working together with Lake Chiuta Fisheries Association has intensified law enforcement activities around Lake Chiuta, resulting in the arrest and prosecution of individuals using illegal fishing gears.
In a recent development, offenders were apprehended and brought before the Machinga Magistrate Court, where they were charged and found guilty.
The court has imposed fines of MK200,000.00 on each of the four offenders, with a default sentence of 24 months imprisonment for contravening Section 42(1)(b) of the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, 1997. Additionally, the confiscated illegal gears have been forfeited to the government and will be destroyed.
According to the Department of Fisheries, this milestone is crucial for the sustainable conservation of Lake Chiuta, a shared water resource that supports the livelihoods of thousands of people.
In support of these enforcement efforts, the African Development Bank-funded Sustainable Fisheries, Aquaculture Development, and Watershed Management (SFAD-WM) Project has been funding capacity-building training in Liwonde where the officials from the Department have been training a number of officials from different sectors.
The training targets magistrates, prosecutors, investigators, traditional leaders and fisheries associations, aiming to enhance the skills of police and judicial officers handling cases in the Lake Chiuta catchment area.
Considering that Machinga Fisheries Office does not have an Enforcement section, the Namiasi Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Center in Mangochi has been leading these fisheries court cases together with the Lake Chiuta Fisheries Association in Machinga district, ensuring that fisheries regulations are effectively implemented to protect the lake’s ecosystem.
