Massive Fish Poaching in Kariba

Source: The Herald (Harare)

Date: 7 October, 2005

Author: Tsitsi Matope

Fish poaching has reached alarming proportions in Lake Kariba's breeding shallow waters, threatening the viability of Zimbabwe's biggest kapenta fishing industry.

Zambian and local poachers are said to be stealthily casting their nets in the prohibited breeding areas using canoes or rented boats during the night.

In worse scenarios, some Zambian poachers are said to be working in cahoots with local fishing companies who lend them fishing rigs in exchange for foreign currency and fuel.

With prices of beef and pork skyrocketing, fish is selling fast in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority inspectors yesterday said they had failed to make any significant progress in thwarting the poachers as they use fish rigs or rented boats whose number plates are stripped off during poaching activities.

Parks public relations manager Rtd Major Edward Mbewe, yesterday, said the authority was mobilising adequate and proper resources that would make tracking of the poachers easy.

"We are worried about the situation and we have deployed more teams to monitor the situation and see to it that the perpetrators are arrested," Rtd Major Mbewe said.

He said the poachers were mainly targeting kapenta fish, which has a lucrative market in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Rtd Major Mbewe added that local authorities in Kariba and the wildlife authority had allocated those with fishing permits specific areas where they are supposed to operate from, bearing in mind the need not to deplete the fish resource.

"We are convinced some of those we issued with permits are also involved and they risk being struck off our register once we establish evidence of their involvement."

It is understood there was chaos at Kariba, which is Zimbabwe's hub for fishing activities, with foreigners and locals involved in fish deals camping at the nearby Mahombekombe and Nyamhunga suburbs.

The famous Operation Restore Order, which swept through the town last winter, for a while left the fish dealers with no place to operate from before they resurfaced a few weeks ago.