04 Feb 2018

The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism (MENT) has refuted Sunday Standard newspaper article dated  anuary 28 - February 3, 2018 titled “Time is up for Ngamiland fishermen to return to the lake.”

A statement from the ministry says the misleading article blurily elucidates with the notion that there has been a ban imposed.

The article says “The Botswana government through the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism banned fishing at the lake in 2015 citing environmental concerns”.

However, the ministry notes with discontent that the article can be confusing as there is currently no fishing ban imposed by the ministry except the ban on the export of dry fish.

It says the Lake Ngami facilitates were shut down by the trust not the ministry, arising out of apparent environmental flaws hence the need to protect the environment.

The ministry encourages fishermen to apply for fishing permits during seasons in order to protect the fish from being extinct as a result of over fishing.

Therefore, the ministry will like to reassure the public that the ministry will never and has never taken any decision that will render them to poverty as a result of prohibiting them from their livelihoods. ENDS