NEWS
20 September 2007
Posted to the web 20 September 2007
By Absalom Shigwedha
Windhoek
OFFICIALS of the Ministry of Fisheries on Friday confiscated two
illegal fishing nets from people in the Kavango Region.
Peter Amutenya, the Director of Fisheries, said the people were
found fishing on the Kavango River in the area of Shinjungwe.
He said officials confiscated one mosquito net and one gill net,
which was of the wrong size.
The Inland Fisheries Act prohibits fishing with mosquito nets, as
this method even takes out the smallest fish.
Gill nets are allowed, but the maximum length is 100 metres.
The gill net that was confiscated from the villagers, according to
Amutenya, exceeded the prescribed length.
He said the villagers were given spot fines.
The move came after The Namibian carried a report on tourism
operators and tourists to the region complaining about illegal fishing
in the Kavango River.
At the beginning of this month, Mark Paxton of Shamvura Camp said
drag-netting was stripping the river of fish and disturbing birds
nesting on the riverbanks, such as the critically endangered African
Skimmer.
He
said drag-netting by people from outside the region was making it hard
for local fishermen using traditional fishing methods to catch fish for
their own consumption.
