State orders fishermen to vacate breeding areas

October 2, 2012 | Filed under: Local News | Posted by: web editor

By ALEX NJOVU
GOVERNMENT has ordered over 1,000 fishermen who have set up permanent bases in fish breeding areas on Lake Mweru in Luapula Province to move out because of their continued use of illegal fishing methods.
Nchelenge district commissioner Joseph Chisakula expressed concern about the continued use of illegal fishing methods on the lake.
Mr Chisakula was speaking in an interview from Nchelenge yesterday.
“We gave them a deadline of up to 30th August, 2012 to move out from those areas because we want the breeding areas to remain permanently closed like they were in the federal government.
“People can fish in the main lake but not in fish breeding areas because they kill even the smallest fish and destroy the eggs using nets and mosquito nets. Some of them have started moving out but others are defiant,” he said.
Mr Chisakula said government will soon move in to remove fishermen from breeding areas.
He said the continued use of illegal fishing methods is a great source of concern to various stakeholders in the district.
Mr Chisakula said many people in the district depend on the fishing industry hence the need to come up with measures which will protect the smallest fish from being killed.
He said it is sad that some fishermen are proving to be difficult in working with government in its bid to protect fish.
Mr Chisakula named some of the fish breeding areas as Mpotolo, Kashiru and Mifimbo.
“Those who are refusing to move out from the fish breeding areas will still be moved out. We want to ensure that the breeding areas remain closed, no one will be allowed to set up a camp in those areas, they will be restricted areas,” he said.
Mr Chisakula said many people in the district and beyond depend on the fish from Lake Mweru and that government is determined to put in place measures to protect the fish breeding areas.
Mr Chisakula warned the fishermen who are resisting to move away from the breeding areas that government will dispatch security officers to throw them out.
He said the continued use of illegal fishing methods have led to the depreciation of fish stocks in Lake Mweru.
Mr Chisakula said government appreciates the support it receives from traditional leaders in curbing indiscriminate fishing.