Ripple Africa has commended Nkhata Bay Fisheries Department and village beach committees for combating illegal fishing in the district.
On Thursday, the department in collaboration with the committees and police confiscated 400 illegal fishing nets, a boat engine and a fuel tank from fishers at Kande during a routine patrol on Lake Malawi.
In an interview, the organisation’s senior projects officer Sam Manda said it was their wish to see an improvement in the promotion of regulations through its Fish for Tomorrow project.
He said: “Our project seeks to address many challenges, including the use of illegal fishing gear. We feel this is the way to go.
“Once the council has engaged the community in confiscating illegal fishing gear, that is a plus to our project and we hope this will help bring sanity to the natural resources conservation initiative.”
Manda observed that non-compliance to the fishing regulations led to decline of fish; hence, the need to conserve the natural resource.
He said the organisation will intensify efforts in sensitising communities and support the enhancement of regulations along the lakeshore.
Nkhata Bay district principal fisheries officer Dellings Kamenya said the department will continue working with the village beach committees to ensure that fishers comply with the regulations.
“We plead with the fishing community to follow rules and regulations to conserve fisheries resources,” he said.
On his part, Sub-Fisheries Association committee chairperson Kida Mkandawire from Traditional Authority Malanda said they have an obligation to ensure that communities use fisheries resources sustainably.
“We will continue working with the Fisheries Department to intensify patrols to ensure that many people understand the need to conserve fisheries resources,” he said
