03 Feb 2021

Lake Ngami Conservation Trust chairperson, Mr Sekano Bodio says there will be no commercial fishing at Lake Ngami this year due to low water levels.

The lake which is an integral part of the Okavango Delta is a seasonal shallow lake that depends mostly on spills from Boro River and Thamalakane River. The lake is critical to the local community; supporting fishing industry, farming, livestock and tourism.

Mr Bodio revealed in an interview that the lake did not receive adequate water as expected during flooding of Mohembo and Okavango Delta hence the decision to suspend fishing.

He said that normally around this time, fishers across the country prepared themselves for fishing season which started from March up-to December. He noted that the lake had also ran out of fish, adding that currently only barbell fish was found because it was able to survive in mud for months when the lake was dry.

The trust chairman also explained that the trust was not ready for this year’s fishing season as they did not make any preparations to address environmental issues such as putting up camp sites, ablution facilities and skips for litter because of financial constraints.

Normally, the trust clears up camp sites and ensures all the necessities are in place before fishing commence.

All the licensed fishermen would be placed in the camps where they would work with the trust to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

He said they needed more time to develop the site but stated that locals were allowed to fish for sustenance.

Last year, department of Wildlife and National Parks lifted commercial fishing in the delta following availability of water in other fishing zones except Lake Ngami.

In a recent interview, department of water affairs and sanitation station manager, Mr Keodumetse Keetile confirmed that the inflow into the lake was currently low as compared to the previous years.

He stated that low water levels could be due to various hydrological factors such as high temperatures in the region resulting in surface water loss through direct evaporation and through percolation into the dry and thirsty sands and filling of dried lagoons and flood plains.

The lake is reported to have not received any water during the hydrological year 2018/19 due to insufficient rainfall that occurred in the Okavango basin catchment.

Chief technical officer at meteorological services in Maun, Mr Omphemetse Mokgweetsi once revealed that the weather forecast had indicated that the SADC region would experience more rainfall this year.

He said floods were expected from Angola which would eventually flow into Mohembo River which feeds the Okavango system and other water points.

He was optimistic that the water levels would increase in water sources across the Ngamiland district. ENDS