Maravi

Illegal fishing on Lake Kariba worries Hankolwe

Illegal fishing on Lake Kariba worries Hankolwe
By Cynthia Phiri in Choma
Sun 18 Mar. 2012, 11:57 CAT

THE Fisheries Department in Sinazongwe fears that Zambia's bilateral relations with neighbouring Zimbabwe will sour because of illegal fishing being done by Zambians on the Zimbabwean side of Lake Kariba.

In an interview, Department of Fisheries officer-in-charge Bornwell Hankolwe said the department in Sinazonzwe was facing a lot of challenges in curbing illegal fishing as most local fishermen were invading Zimbabwean waters.

"Most fishermen have opted to live on the islands as opposed to designated fish villages making it difficult for the department to have meetings with them and because they are not around to get guidance on the do's and don'ts they are invading the Zimbabwean waters which is posing a threat on Zambia's bilateral relations with Zimbabwe," Hankolwe said.

He said because of the open access policy on fishing, many people had come from other fishing areas to Lake Kariba with sophisticated and illegal methods of fishing such as the use of mosquito nets, among others.

He said most fishermen were now residing on Lake Kariba islands, hence invading the Zimbabwean waters to fish illegally.

"We have so many challenges; we have so many people that are residing on the island," said Hankolwe.

"…island settlement is illegal. Our Department does not allow people to live on the island permanently, there are designated fish villages where fishermen are supposed to live so that it is easy for us to have meetings with them."

Labels: BORDERS, FISHING, LAKE KARIBA

posted by MrK @ 7:03 PM