Botswana: Lessons from Ngami Lake Fish Ban



[ad_1]

When will decision-makers take researchers seriously? Why are we investing in education when credible scientific evidence is ignored in the decision-making process? I was informed that an illiterate regional director of the Wildlife Department said that the recommendations of a fishing teacher were nonsensical and that the government should not take such advice. Well, not surprising because the guy is close to the old administration who has strongly abhorred the education. The director has no qualifications for wildlife management.

What is the way forward now with Lake Ngami, and the fish that once benefited part of the population? We should seriously consider developing an appropriate fishing industry in Ngamiland. The funds that the government plans to use to purchase expensive grippens and other pieces of war artillery could be diverted to create jobs in this sector.

Why do we impoverish Ngamiland residents, is this part of a war against them? I can not understand how we expect the Ngamiland people to live? This was first of all contagious bovine pleuro pneumonia (commonly known as bovine lung disease), followed by the ban on hunting and then the ban on fishing.

Artisanal fishing and aquaculture make an essential contribution to development in the fields of employment. with more than 41 million people worldwide, the vast majority of whom live in developing countries and work in fish production; food security and nutrition, fish being an important source of nutrients for the poor and often the cheapest form of animal protein; and trade, with a third of the production of fishery products in developing countries for export.

The ban was announced by the Statutory Instrument No. 17 of 2017 in the Botswana Government newspaper published on March 10, 2017 and signed by Minister Tshekedi Khama on February 17. In the exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 3 of the Fish Protection Act, he announced that no one will export dry fish produced from Botswana, the prohibition will be of a duration of 12 months. The Minister of Environment, Natural Resources and Conservation, Tshekedi Khama, said the decision was motivated by continued overfishing, which gives foreign traders an unfair advantage over locals. Various studies conducted at Ngami Lake showed that there was no exploitation of the fish population and that it was an emotional decision. I realized that despite the significant contributions that fisheries and aquaculture make to employment, nutrition and trade in Botswana, they are rarely included in national development policy and the priorities of the countries. donors. This is largely due to the valuation issues of artisanal fisheries, as policymakers often do not have access to data reflecting the importance of fisheries and aquaculture for development; which has led to notorious bans that have further impoverished poor farmers. 19659006] The ecology of Nagami Lake shows that it will eventually dry out, as it is the situation right now, and that I passed there over the weekend. I saw it drying, and all the fish that could have been used by locals will eventually die. Why are we so cruel? Ngamiland with many entrances is expected to have a fishing market base. With so many fish in the district, why Botswana does not have its own fishing products and we export from Namibia? It is an area that we could use to create employment opportunities and divsrifier our economy! The importance of fish as a source of protein and other essential nutrients in human nutrition, as well as the potential contribution of a fisheries sub-sector, can not be overstated. to the overall development of the national economy. more fish food to the ever-growing population of natives and ensure that the price of such is within Botswana's reach. In our desire to reduce rural drift in urban areas, promoting the fish industry in the Ngamiland region would increase fish production, but would prematurely halt the movement of labor out of the country. 39 industry looking for urban economies not available. You know that I love rural development policy because all of this is caught inside of it, and its deliberate failure to put Botswana out of poverty. You know that this country has the potential to be zero poverty if we use our resources well. We always go far from the places of reference, why? Look at Zimbabwe's kapenta- (Amatemba) and the fish we export from Namibia.

Apart from these direct contributions, the industry can also contribute indirectly to the creation of jobs. Once a fishing community is established, it will need a host of cervix to keep it in working order. These facilities and services will include a shipyard, a village shop selling fishing equipment, an engine repair shop to repair and repair disabled motorized vessels, an ice plant or a transportation / distribution service. of fish. All these facilities and services will be managed by people. Thus, the development of the industry will surely result in increased employment opportunities in fishing villages along Ngamiland and other developed areas across the country.

We urgently need to develop an IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR SMALL-SCALE FISHERMEN. Such a system would result in an increase in the income of these fishermen both from the point of view of welfare and the obtaining of a paid job.

The Masisi-led government should focus on building an extension / energetic service board to demonstrate the potential returns of new inputs and practices that will convince future adopters of the profitability of fish farming and will encourage fish farming. 39, private investment in the unfamiliar business. The money currently under the CEDA channel this to such an industry. In this respect, the construction of model fish farms throughout the country is advocated with a warning that these model farms should be modest and as close as possible to what average fishers can afford to breed. I think that the research pedigree could be put in place, and after having demonstrated the feasibility of making high returns to fish farming, the government should continue to provide the necessary infrastructure for the smooth running of production and distribution. The Fisheries Division of the Department of Wildlife should be empowered to conduct such an exercise, and I know that a former director who was forced to retire dreamed of taking fishing at the highest level.

[ad_2]
Source link