Senior Chief ups fisheries by-laws awareness among his subjects
Senior Chief Lulanga as champion has stepped up efforts to raise awareness about fisheries by-laws to his residents around Makanjira, the eastern side of Lake Malawi close to Mozambique
Senior Chief Lulanga has stepped up efforts towards fisheries awareness to his subjects around Makanjira area
CHIPHOLE, Malawi (Planet Defence) – Senior Chief Lulanga in Mangochi has stepped up advocacy and awareness campaigns in his area by reaching out to communities to adhere to fisheries by-laws within his jurisdiction.
Failing which, the no nonsense chief has warned of confiscations and stiff penalties to all his subjects using illegal fish gear when find contravening the set by-laws.
Senior Chief Lulanga accompanied by Sub-Traditional Authority Mambo, Councilor Abdul Yusuf was speaking in his capacity as a fisheries champion when he conducted a sensitization meeting at Chiphole beach market.
The meeting was attended by village headmen, group village headmen, village development committees, area development committees, fisheries association chairpersons, beach village committees and representatives of fishermen around Makanjira area.
“The main focus was to raise awareness on a need for communities to ensure sustainable utilization of fisheries, considering the role fish plays in social economic development, food and nutritional security countrywide.
“I also paid particular attention and focus on ecosystem-based fisheries management as the fishery sector is also connected to other sectors such as wildlife and land resources,” explained Lulanga after the event.
We want to ensure the people adhere to regulations in terms of close breeding season of fish on Lake Malawi. But also, more importantly they should use acceptable fishing gear that gives young fish the opportunity to grow and reproduce.
Mike Chizumba, Fisheries Assistant in the area says it is a good start as fisheries issues need a lot of awareness now with the high population growth.
“Fishermen have also provided feedback to the initiative saying that Beach Village Committees are also playing a role in the management of fish resources like controlling commercial trawlers going outside their fishing zones. This will help to ensure fish resources are conserved for the benefit of future generations,” said Chizumba in an interview.
Chizumba - Fisheries issues need a lot of awareness in the wake of raising population growth
The awareness follows a Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi (REFRESH) champions orientation training where an advocacy strategy for champions was developed for implementation in their respective areas.
In a related development, as a joint show of partnership at the event the humanitarian organization Malawi Red Cross also held a clean-up campaign at the beach as part of waste pollution control.
As Malawi Red Cross, we are implementing a Cholera project which is centered on water, sanitation and hygiene.
“So fisheries being a govt body that works fishermen who oftentimes uses water and they always stay in beaches they need to ensure hygiene wherever they are operating especially in the beaches and use chlorinated water to prevent contacting diseases,” says George Mloma, Community Development Facilitator for the Danish Red Cross project implemented in TA’s Lulanga, Makanjira, Namabvi and Mponda.
MLOMA - We are promoting water, sanitation and hygiene in four traditional authorities in Mangochi district.
So Beach Village Committees being the one responsible for Chiphole fish landing site and market and all beaches round, it was a good development worth taking part to raise awareness on the cleanliness especially in the water.
The move is by Red Cross is in line with the chemical waste management initiative by Environmental Affairs Department that aims to strengthen the institutional capacity to plan, monitor and coordinate implementation of policies, strategies and national programmes for the sound management of chemicals and waste.
As way forward, the Senior Chief has formed a task force committee comprising of 13 members who will be working together with him as part of strengthening the governance structures to ensure sustainable management of fishery resources in his jurisdiction.