The Government of Malawi has tightened fishing controls across Malawi’s major water bodies.
Government has now banned several fishing gears and introduced seasonal restrictions aimed at protecting fish stocks.
The Ministry of Natural Resources says Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe, the Upper Shire, Lake Chilwa and Mpoto Lagoon will be subject to different closed fishing periods and gear restrictions.
The restrictions include a ban on beach seine nets and ring nets on Lake Malawi from November 1 to December 31, while Lake Malombe and the Upper Shire will be closed to specified beach seine and nkacha seine fishing from October 1 to December 31.
For Lake Chilwa and Mpoto Lagoon, the closure on beach seine nets will run from December 1 to February 28, while pair and stern trawls on Lake Malawi will also be prohibited during the same period.
Beyond the seasonal restrictions, the ministry has permanently prohibited several fishing methods in designated waters, including monofilament nets, mosquito nets, kandwindwi and ngongongo, citing fishing regulations.
The government has warned that anyone caught fishing with the specified gears during the closed periods, or found with fish proven to have been caught using them, faces a fine of K600,000 and/or up to six years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
The notice that Malawi24 has seen has been issued under the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1997 and the Fisheries Conservation and Management Regulations of 2000.
