By Mark Phiri

Mangochi, August 10, Mana: Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Unit in the Department of Fisheries has confiscated 75 illegal fishing gears between November 2022 and July, 2023 in Mangochi.

In an interview, Inspectorate Officer for Mangochi, Allan Katola said fishermen in the district modify fishing gears with the aim of making them efficient turning them into illegal fishing gears.

He added the most common misuse and modifications are meshed netting materials, monofilaments, usage of mosquito nets, as well as fishing during closed season and fishing in restricted areas.

The Inspectorate Officer described the development as worrisome saying the continued usage of illegal fishing gears in the district was contributing to habitat degradation, depletion of fish stocks and extinction for some fish species.

He said his office has embarked on establishment of a multi-sectoral taskforce to deal with the vice.

“Apart from conducting lake patrols, our office has intensified community engagement through strengthening of community based structures such as Beach Village Committees and Fisheries Associations.

“We are orienting our partner agencies such as police officers and magistrates for us to work collaboratively in handling fish-related cases brought before them,” Katola added.

Chairperson for Makumba Beach Village Committee, Hussein Sukali said they are enforcing by-laws that govern fishing industry in ensuring that no fisherman was using illegal fishing gears.

“Last month, Fisheries officials and Senior Chief Chowe came and oriented us on these by-laws. Since then, we make sure that any fisherman plying his or her business within our jurisdiction is complying to the set by-laws.

“So far, we have evicted two mosquito net and kandwindwi users for catching juvenile fish,” he explained.