13 Jun 2016

North West District councillors have expressed mixed feelings about the proposed fishing regulations, some said they were the right steps to curb challenges encountered by fishermen while some said regulations are stiff and would hinder people from the lucrative fishing business.

This followed a briefing by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks director Major General Otisitswe Tiroyamodimo who said the new fishing regulations which were supposed to effect beginning of April are no longer applicable since parliament dismissed them due to lack of comprehensive consultations.

Major Gen. Tiroyamodimo was addressing the North West District Councilrecently in Maun which was the first leg of consultations as advised by parliament.

He said the fishing regulations of 2008 will remain effective until the department has completed consultations. He said all DWNP officers were instructed to suspend the new regulations of 2016.

Major Gen. Tiroyamodimo pointed out that DWNP was not satisfied with the 2008 fishing regulations therefore came with the proposed regulations which are informed by conservation of fish.

The current fishing regulations license, he said did not stipulate the area to fish from which resulted in influx of people at areas believed to be rich in fish.

Other shortfall of the 2008 fish regulations he said included no stipulation of the size of fish net, no identification on nets as well as no regulation on fish export.

The proposed regulations, Major Gen Tiroyamodimo said called for citizens only to engage in subsistence fishing and to catch only 10 fish per day.

Susbsitence fishers, he said should fish on flood plains only and not in big rivers.

The other proposals are to prohibit monofilament fish net which is invisible and not selective, prohibit use of explosives or poison, use of light to lure fish and use of fish net within 100 metres of a bridge or culvert.

The proposed regulations also state that people who export fish should possess a permit; that the fishing license would cost P500 instead of P100, recreational fishers to catch and release fish only, P500 for duplication of license instead of the P100.

Commenting on such amendments, Sehithwa councillor Maitiro Segosebe said he welcomed the proposed regulations especially the quota which stipulated the amount of fish allowed per day.

However, councillor Segosebe said the proposed size of fish net of 25 metres was too small, adding that the fee for carrying a fish from one water body to the other was too high from P10 to P100 which he feared would hinder people from engaging in fish rearing.

Nominated councillor Boemo Rapuso decried that the proposed prices were too high and would demoralize Batswana in pursuant of fishing business.

Bodibeng councillor Morafemong Matsimanyana said he agreed with some of the proposed regulations. He said some of the consequences of the influx of people was evident at Lake Ngami in Sehithwa such that cattle farmers were negatively affected by measles outbreak.

Thito councillor Mmuedi Modiegi said the proposed prices were too high, and queried whether they were informed by the fish market. ENDS