Sustainable fishing solutions
We have established 310 Beach Village Committees who are protecting 85 Chambo fish breeding grounds along 400 km of shoreline.
A fishing closed season has been adopted and fishermen are using larger meshed gill nets and catching bigger fish instead of using mosquito nets and smaller meshed nets.
The number of migratory fishermen has reduced due to the new local permit fee. However, although working in five Districts, there are still fishing Districts in Malawi which haven’t yet benefitted from this community initiative.
Protecting fish breeding areas
We started our Fish for Tomorrow community-led conservation project in 2011. It is protecting endangered and economically important fish species, preserving biodiversity and sustaining livelihoods and food security.
Before the project was introduced, fishermen had begun to use longer nets with smaller mesh sizes to catch as many fish as they could. However, these caught fish in huge numbers at a very small size before they were fully grown and able to breed.
In areas where Fish for Tomorrow operates, fishing communities now protect fish breeding areas, which means that there are many more fish which are able to breed in the future, increasing overall numbers of fish in the lake.
Protecting fish breeding areas
We started our Fish for Tomorrow community-led conservation project in 2011. It is protecting endangered and economically important fish species, preserving biodiversity and sustaining livelihoods and food security.
Before the project was introduced, fishermen had begun to use longer nets with smaller mesh sizes to catch as many fish as they could. However, these caught fish in huge numbers at a very small size before they were fully grown and able to breed.
In areas where Fish for Tomorrow operates, fishing communities now protect fish breeding areas, which means that there are many more fish which are able to breed in the future, increasing overall numbers of fish in the lake.
KM OF PROTECTED SHORELINE
Why is the Fish for Tomorrow project needed?
Around 70% of people in Malawi live below the international poverty line. The population has grown from five million in 1975 to over 18 million today. This has put huge pressure on all Malawi’s natural resources.
In recent years, overfishing has led to reduced fish stocks. In an effort to increase the number of fish that they catch, fishers have been using longer nets with smaller mesh sizes, often made from malaria prevention mosquito nets. These nets catch fish at a very small size before they are fully grown and able to breed. Many fish species, including two types of the popular and once commonly caught Chambo (Oreochromis lidole and Oreochromis karongae) are now classified as endangered or vulnerable. The problem has been exacerbated by the lack of government funds to enforce fishing regulations.
Ripple Africa’s Fish Conservation project is important because it tackles this national problem by empowering local communities and officials to take control of the situation in their own areas. It is a sustainable approach both environmentally and financially.
We work with District Fisheries Officers and their teams and with Traditional Authorities (Senior Chiefs) and local leaders such as District Councillors, District Executive Committee members, Police and District Judiciary to ensure that they have a full understanding of the project and are in support. We develop new District Bylaws for fish conservation which are a legally binding document to which all key stakeholders are committed.
Your monthly donation could help protect a fish breeding area
Hear how the Fish for Tomorrow project is changing the lives of fishermen:
Paulosi Chirwa, 52: “The reason for low catches were population growth, the use of mosquito nets and most people not following proper fishing regulations. I really appreciated the Fish Conservation project being introduced as it has brought a change to fishing. Most fishers are able to see the results of it despite the resistance during the first year of the project. You can now observe young fish in the water and this is giving hope to the people of Nkhata Bay that the glory is back.”
Musa Majidu, 41: “I became a fisherman in 2017 and other fishermen wished me luck. They said there were few big fish left to catch but that they were hopeful things would improve with the introduction of the Fish for Tomorrow project. In three years I have seen the positive changes happening and I am catching big fish. I will encourage all my fellow fishermen to play their role in fish conservation so we have fish for the future.”
Soft Mkolongo, 42: “By following the bylaws it means I am now catching more and bigger fish. This means I can save money in the village bank. This sustains me and my family during the closed season. With my savings I have been able to build a house and a boat, and pay school fees. I am also farming during the closed season so this brings me food too.”
This project addresses the following Sustainable Development Goals:
