MONOFILAMENT RED FLAG - Senior Chief Lulanga sets illegal fish gear on fire at Makanjira
Fisheries by-laws prohibits the use of monofilaments as they are not only dangerous but also unsustainable fish management, local leader sets ablaze monofilament to send message home on illegal gear
MAKANJIRA, Mangochi, Malawi (Planet Defence) – Senior Chief Lulanga of Mangochi, Makanjira side in his capacity as a fisheries champion sent out a strong message to illegal fishing gear peddlers when he physically burnt a 3000m mono-filament net at Illembe beach on Lake Malawi shore.
Mono – filament nets are illegal fishing gear that are not only dangerous but also environmentally unfriendly to sustainable fish management. This is according to the fisheries by – laws as they belong to what is called Illegal, Unreported and Unreported (IUU) fishing.
Other than the awareness messages, Senior Chief Lulanga took a tough stance when he set ablaze the mono – filament nets confiscated at Illembe.
The mono-filaments net belonged to Jephter Mbweche Banda who voluntarily ordered the nets to be confiscated.
“This is a success story and more fishers at the beaches of Nkonde, Gome, Malopa and Chilemba agreed to stop illegal fishing and freely burnt their gears. We have recorded 13 fishers who have burnt their gear and abandoned the malpractice,” Mike Chizumba, Assistant Fisheries Officer in the area told Planet Defence in an interview.
Our approach is that the messages are delivered in a humble and friendly manner, Illegal fishing net sellers are complying with set district fishing by-laws.
Meanwhile, fish gear sellers at Lulanga and Chiphole markets who were sensitize have stopped stocking and selling mono – filaments and have embarked on other enterprises.
“We have witnessed a total of seventeen fishing net sellers in our area venturing into different enterprises away from mono – filament. This is very successful, at Lulanga market for instance, we have Bonkey Namkwenya who has completely switched his business to grocery,” Chizumba explained.
Senior Chief Lulanga had a planned agenda to the beaches on this day. His messages to the people were illegal fishing gears sensitization, closed season awareness campaign and sanitation and hygiene as part of water sanitation and hygiene among shoreline communities among others.
The delegation that accompanied Senior Chief Lulanga and Sub-Traditional Authority Mambo as part of partnership included Ripple Africa Field Coordinator, Martin Jere, Mangochi Fisheries Association chairperson Ali Tyme wa Tyme,Community Initiative for Self-Reliance (CISER) Technician, Chikondi Banda and Fortmaguire Minor Stratum Assistant Fisheries Officer. Grevazio Mike Chasimbi attended the meetings.
As part of ensuring compliance to fishing gear Grevazio Mike Chasimbi and Martin Wakudyanaye Jere conducted fishing gears inspection at Gome, Nalungu and Nkonde beach meetings.
These meetings are being supported by PACT through the Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi (REFRESH) a USAID and UKaid co-funded project implemented by CISER in Mangochi and Ripple Africa in Fish Conservation Project.