Nkhotakota empowered to enforce fishing rules
Ripple Africa has donated a K5 million patrol boat to Nkhotakota Fisheries Department to enhance its capacity to enforce sustainable fishing in Lake Malawi in the district.
The donation comes at a time fishers continue to flout fishing regulations and rules on the lake, including the use of illegal fishing gear and fishing during the closed season.
Speaking on Wednesday during the handover of the boat at Arnolds Lakeshore Resort in the district, the department’s senior deputy director Jacqueline Kazembe said the boat will ease mobility challenges during patrols.
She said: “Patrol boats play a huge role in enforcing regulations and rules because when the department announces closure of the fishing season, officials need to be deployed right away on the lake.
“However, due to lack of patrol vehicles, it is difficult to enforce the regulations.”
Nkhotakota District Council chairperson Gazel Chimzele thanked Ripple Africa for the donation.
He said besides using the boat to monitor the use of illegal gear on the lake, the council will also use it for patrols to check compliance among fishing boats on the lake on licence fees.
Chimzele said it was crucial to ensure that fishers follow regulations to sustain fish on the lake.
Nkhotakota resident Saizi Juma welcomed the donation, saying it was high time fishers acted responsibly.
“The lake is the only resource that gives us abundant fish. If the fishes are depleted, we will be the same people to suffer because we will not have means to generate income,” he said.
Juma advised fishing communities to embrace other income-generating activities during breeding season to allow fish to grow in the lake.
Ripple Africa country director Force Ngwira said since they are already implementing a Fish Conservation Project in the district, they found it important to donate the boat to enforce fishing regulations.
He said they also donated boats to Salima and Monkey Bay in Mangochi.
In recent times, traditional leaders in lakeshore districts have also formulated by-laws to protect fish and other resources from the lake.
