Don’t use illegal gears, fishers told

Karonga acting district commissioner Frank Mkandawire has warned communities against using illegal gears such as mosquito nets for catching fish.

He said this on Saturday when Development Alternatives Incorporation (DAI) facilitated a governance for solutions meeting for Kaporo Beach Village Committee (BVC) in the district.

Mkandawire mentioned the ban on the use of mosquito nets among fishers, saying the initiative was vital for sustainable fishing practices and malaria prevention.

He said if the battle against malaria and illegal fishing is to be won, there is need for Karonga District Health Office, the Fisheries Department and fishers themselves to guard against infiltration of mosquito nets in fishing beaches.

“Building on the success of Kaporo BVC, I encourage the other 63 BVCs in the district to follow their example. The goal of preserving fish and combating malaria requires collective efforts,” said Mkandawire.

Kaporo BVC secretary John Hunga attributed the success to team work among community leaders, government agencies and the committee members.

“After noticing low catches due to continued use of illegal fishing gear, we decided to address the issue by involving area development committees and creating community by-laws to prevent the use of illegal fishing gear,” he said.

But Karonga district fisheries assistant inspectorate officer Richard Kamanga said they lack adequate resources to conduct patrols to check use of illegal fishing gear.

With funding from the United States Agency for International Development, DAI is implementing the Governance for Solutions project in the district to eradicate the use of mosquito nets for fishing.