Fishers clash in Nkhotakota

There was commotion at Chipala Beach Village in Nkhotakota on Wednesday when a group of local fishers from Kapeta and migrant commercial fishers clashed over alleged sabotage.

Three people from Kapeta were injured during the fight and were treated as out-patients at Nkhotakota District Hospital.

When contacted, Nkhotakota Police Station deputy spokesperson Paul Malimwe said no arrest has been made in connection with the fracas.

The local fishers are accusing the migrant fishers of trolling in shallow waters, thereby damaging their fishing gear.

 The Fisheries Act permits trolling in 18 metres deep water and 1.6 kilometres from the shoreline.

On the day of the incident, the disgruntled fishers marched to the district fisheries office to ask for the immediate ban on trolling.

However, the Chipala camp blocked their neighbours passage as they were heading home, consequently sparking a fierce confrontation. 

Felix Kaombe, one of the injured, said he was beaten up by suspected peopkle of Chipala Village as he was going home.

“I was alone going home. I heard somebody shouting behind that I was among the Kapeta group and they beat me up mercilessly,” he said.

Village head Kapeta said they have engaged their counterparts on the matter, but nothing has changed.

He said: “They are damaging our fishing gear because of fishing in shallow waters. We have appealed to them to stop, but nothing has changed.”

On his part, village head Chipala blamed the local fishers of provoking the situation by passing through the area saying they would have found another route.

The district’s fisheries officer Symon Ngwira has since summoned the two chiefs to quell the situation.