19 Apr 2021

 Fishermen have been urged to exercise patience as efforts were underway to lift the commercial fishing ban at Lake Ngami.

  The call was made by the lake’s conservation trust manager, Mr Tuelo Bapedi in an interview recently.

 He explained that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks had already been approached for allocation  of a fishing quota.

 However, Mr Bapedi said the department had indicated that an assessment needed to be carried out before a quota could be issued.

Assessment was expected to be done this week, he said.

Fishing in Lake Ngami was suspended due to low water levels but there had been an influx of illegal fishers who put up camps around the lake resulting in environmental pollution.

The trust’s engagement of   the department followed a recent stakeholder meeting where the campers were given two weeks to vacate.

Mr Bapedi said they were given until tomorrow to vacate the area. 

He said the trust had assisted them with refuse bags and would further assist with refuse collection on a weekly basis.

“We will be patrolling the area and when we see the need to collect litter we will do so. Our main challenge will be how to dispose of rotten fish,” he said.

Mr Bapedi said while awaiting the department’s response, the trust would start preparations for resumption of fishing by at least putting up ablution facilities.

 

The trust, he explained, had intended putting up permanent structures at camp sites but plans were scuppered by financial constraints. ENDS