The diminishing fish stocks in Lake Lyambezi and the inward rivers in the entire Zambezi region have left fishermen despondent, particularly at the region’s lake that was once considered the area’s main source of fish.
Since the fishing moratorium, which came into effect on 1 December last year was lifted in March, Zambezi bream has been scarce.
When New Era visited Lake Lyambezi in the Muyako area on Wednesday, only catfish were found in abundance, and the fishermen in the area say that is the only fish they are catching at the moment.
“Recently, we have been catching catfish, but it is also declining. I don’t know how we are going to survive,” said Stephen Nangolo, a fisherman of the Muyako area.
“Another challenge is that our customers always want to buy on cheaper prices, which is putting us in a difficult situation because this is our livelihood we are talking about,” he added.
Another fisherman, Mulemwa Matepeta, said he has not been fishing due to the scarcity of fish. “Fish is declining, even fishermen are now confined to one place,” he said. He observed that the main contributing factor to the dwindling of the fish resource is illegal fishing methods.
His sentiments were shared by Lumba Mutau, a fish trader based at Muyako, who sells fish to fishmongers and other customers who visit the lake. She also said she has only been selling catfish because the Zambezi bream is very scarce at the moment.
“We have customers who come to support us by buying our catfish, and this helps us put bread on the table and take care of our children. However, our fishermen are facing a serious challenge of illegal fishing activities. There are others who use illegal fishing nets and illegal fishing methods. Some of our fishermen have to dig deeper to find something, and it may take a week or two to come up with better stock,” Mutau said.
New Era caught up with one of Mutau’s customers, Kelvin Sibanga, who was busy buying catfish when this reporter arrived.
“The business of buying and reselling fish is a good one, if you buy and resell for good prices. You can even send your children to school. However, selling to our local fishmongers is a challenge, and one cannot really get a good profit because they also want to go and make profit when they sell at the open market. I prefer selling outside the region,” said Sibanga.
The scarcity of fish has also resulted in the escalation of prices, with fish prices doubling. A fish one would normally buy for N$25 now costs N$50 at the Katima Mulilo open market. However, other fishermen from flood- prone areas like Kasika and Mbalasinte are hopeful that in the coming months when floodwaters subside, they will be able to catch fish from inward rivers.