Beach Village Committee (BVC) at the Canal in GroupVillageHeadman Ntchenyera in Traditional Authority Mbenje in Nsanje have intensified patrols in the Elephant Marsh in a bid to conserve the environment.
Chairperson for Canal BVC, Fonex Benford said it has been noted that some people, especially fishermen using illegal fishing gears.
He told ProjectM that the fishermen are not adhering to the rules and regulations for their trade.
“It is not acceptable to use mosquito nets as fishing gear which does not spare young or small fish in the process of catching fish,” said the chairperson.
Benford is appealing to fishermen to use the recommended fishing tools in order to serve the small ones for them to grow.
Fisheries Assistant at Bangula Fisheries Office, Foster Kuloweka also said if fingerlings are not spared, it poses a threat to have full-grown fish for consumption.
He said the communities should know that the Elephant Marsh is the source of their livelihoods as such it must be protected.
“People participate in several activities such as collecting nyika (waterlilies), fishing and farming in the elephant marsh which is also becoming an ecotourism area,” said the officer.
Kuloweka was quick to disclose that the Elephant Marsh is a habitat for birds, crocodiles and hippos which attract tourists.
The Elephant Marsh is a wetlands area found in the Shire Valley Districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje which is recognised internationally.
The area stretches from Phokera in Nsanje to Kamuzu Bridge in Chikwawa.
