13 May 2014

The decision to stop fishing activities in the Shaile area has not gone down well with fishermen who say their livelihood has been cut off.

After bringing up the issue in a kgotla meeting addressed by President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama over a month back, the same complaints resurfaced at this year’s Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust (CECT) annual general meeting in Kachikau over the weekend.

One of the fishermen, Mr Sikamunga Maswabi complained that CECT was denying them an opportunity to make a living from fishing around the Shaile area.

Former CECT chairman, Mr Thomas Sinvula explained that in the last AGM, he had clarified that commercial fishing and hunting could not be allowed in the exclusive photographic area.

“Commercial fishing and hunting were not allowed in the area because no two commercial uses can be conducted in one area, therefore commercial fishing activities should be done outside the photographic area, north of Shaile airstrip,” he said.

In this year’s AGM however, it became apparent that fishermen were not particularly happy with this development challenging CECT to change this clause.

When reading out the constitution, the current chairman, Mr Amos Mabuku explained that the public could harvest natural and veldt products around the Shaile area with the facilitation of the board.

Council chairman for Chobe district council, Mr Mwanota Kachana said there had been reports of poaching activities around the Shaile area which prompted fishing around the area to be stopped.

He did however note that this issue needed to be revisited as fishing was the economic backbone of people in that area. Also it emerged that there were environmental concerns that arose relating to hygiene since there are no toilets at the area in question.

A representative from Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Mr Johnson Lebotse who is also on the technical advisory committee explained that it was up to CECT and its members to decide whether to change this clause or not.

He also added that during one of their sampling exercises they discovered that water and fish around the area were contaminated with human bacteria, which pose danger to fish, and other organisms that live in water as well as humans who consume these. ENDS