03 Sep 2015

A wildlife official has advised poverty eradication beneficiaries who have been trained to undertake fishing projects to shift to other alternative packages while fishing is still suspended at Lake Ngami.

The regional coordinator of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), Mr Bolt Othomile said beneficiaries who were already issued with licences before the suspension could continue with their projects.

He noted that there was no special arrangement for the beneficiaries as the suspension affected all fishermen.

Early this year the department trained over 50 beneficiaries in fisheries under the poverty eradication programme. The training was held at Ngamiland Rural Training Centre and beneficiaries were equipped with basic skills on fish processes, business planning and management, book keeping and how to make their business flourish.

Last year, the department trained over 30 beneficiaries who were assisted with equipment to start projects.

Meanwhile, Mr Othomile explained that monitoring was being done to ensure that challenges caused by fishermen at the lake were not passed to other villages or water points.

He said the fishermen relocated from the lake and scattered in villages such as Chanoga, Shorobe and Nxaraga, adding that 90 per cent have camped in the village as a way to address the issue of lack of ablution facilities and illegal camping.

Regarding the operation of the Sehithwa Development Trust, Mr Othomile revealed that they were working round the clock to solicit resources and ensure the trust starts operations.

“We are trying our best to do what we can to secure resources and make sure something is in place for the trust to kick start,” he added.

He said the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has agreed to sponsor tenders for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study and that currently tenders were circulating in different newspapers.

He said if the impact assessment study could be conducted on time, it could pave the way for more developments such as the construction of an office, camping sites and ablution blocks. Mr Othomile also pointed out that they have extended their request to the Office of the President to assist the trust through the Poverty Eradication Programme. Ends