The Department of Fisheries in Mangochi District has confiscated illegal fishing materials from some traders in an operation conducted on Wednesday.
Speaking during a press briefing after the operation, fisheries inspector Allan Katola said the exercise sought to check illegal fishing materials such as monofilament fishing nets.
“These fishing materials are illegal and unacceptable because apart from depleting every aquatic life in the lake, they can stay in the lake for up to 100 years,” he said.
Katola said the traders are from Mangochi town and some from Makawa Trading Centre.
“We will refer the issue to police for the people who were found in possession of the materials to face the law,” he said.
Katola advised traders not to sell illegal fishing materials, saying they will not relent on cracking down fishers using the same.
In his remarks, Ripple Africa district manager Robert Manthonyera, whose organisation funded the operation, said their interest is to reduce illegal fishing practices in Lake Malawi.
“As per the project, we want to conserve fish species by empowering communities to sustainably use and manage fisheries resources. We want to promote fishing regulations and one of them is to confiscate illegal fishing materials,” he said.
Ripple Africa is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) implementing Fish for Tomorrow Project in the district.
The organisation also empowers beach village committees to monitor fishing practices on the lake and big rivers in lakeshore districts
