Restoring biodiversity

Ripple Africa’s Fish Conservation project (called Fish for Tomorrow) is built on its experience of community forest conservation in Malawi. We developed a simple approach which we trialled along a 40 km area of lakeshore in Nkhata Bay District. Working in partnership with fishing communities, their leaders and the District Fisheries Officer, the project slowly began to produce results. Fishers reported that they were starting to see fish species which they had not seen in the lake for many years.  They also said they were catching larger fish which they could sell for higher prices, thus increasing their family income.  In 2016, the project was expanded to cover all of Nkhata Bay District. Local communities all along the lakeshore in this District, supported by their leaders, are now empowered to control damaging fishing activity, regulate closed seasons and protect fish breeding areas. Simple, cost effective community education and ongoing support underpin the project.

Also in 2016, we extended the project into Nkhotakota District and in 2018 into Salima District. Recently we have expanded into Dedza and Mangochi Districts too and we are now helping to protect more than 400 km of shoreline – over half the length of Lake Malawi. From ten years of lessons learnt, we have developed a functional, tried and tested model which can be rolled out across the whole of the lake. It can be replicated in lakes and coastal areas in neighbouring countries too.

District Bylaws were signed in Nkhata Bay District in May 2016, and in Nkhotakota District in May 2018. Over 3,000 community members are now members of active Beach Village Committees, confiscating illegal nets, protecting breeding areas  and enforcing the closed season.

We are now keen to secure funding to enable the project to be spread into the other lakeshore Districts.

Ripple Africa works first with District Fisheries Officers and their teams. We also work with Traditional Authorities (Senior Chiefs) and local leaders to ensure that they have a full understanding of the project and are in support.  The aim is to develop new District Bylaws for fish conservation which will be a legally binding document to which all key stakeholders are committed.

The bylaws include the following key items:

• No fishing with mosquito nets at any time.
• No fishing within 1 km of the shore and islands, and Chambo breeding areas.
• Protection for all fish breeding areas to allow fish to breed and grow.
• The introduction of a two or three month closed season during the Chambo breeding season.
• Restrictions on fishing gear used in the open season – February to October – to ensure that only larger meshed nets are used.
• Only local fishermen are allowed to fish with local permits.
• No fishing with drag nets (beach seine, lemu) and no fishing with trawlers.

Ripple Africa works in partnership with District Fisheries teams to set up Beach Village Committees (BVCs). These are local voluntary groups that represent the interests of the fishing communities, who will own the fish conservation project. They play a major role in the sustainable management of fish resources.

Each BVC has 10 members, which could include fishing gear owners, crew members, traders, farmers, processors and other non-fishers (e.g. shop owners) with an interest in fish conservation. At least three of its members should be women as women are the main fish sellers in Malawi. BVCs are empowered to confiscate illegal fishing gear and fine offenders. These fines are kept by the BVC to fund the costs of carrying out patrols and other activities. If the fines are not paid, offenders are passed to the police and risk imprisonment and much larger fines.

Beach Village Committee duties are to:

1. Educate the local community about the Fish For Tomorrow project so they understand the benefits of protecting fish stocks;
2. Check that all fishers are using recommended fishing gear;
3. Monitor beaches and fish breeding areas for illegal activity;
4. Fine illegal activity and/or confiscate fishing gear;
5. Make sure fishers observe the closed season;
6. Make sure all gear owners have paid for current government permits;
7. Issue and check local fishing permits;
8. Check that fish being sold in local markets or being processed is legal;
9. Make sure that only registered fishers are using their beaches;
10. Effectively manage a fund for the running of the committee with income from fines and local permits.

Fishermen who have been involved in the project so far are now not only protecting the fish in the breeding areas, but are feeding them and encouraging the reeds to regrow to offer baby fish more protection from other predators and from the sun’s heat.

Already we are seeing fishing communities in our project area making huge efforts to protect these breeding areas with consequent benefits not only for fish, but also for flora.  Our community fish conservation volunteers have now stopped the use of mosquito nets in most areas, and are also taking positive steps to encourage the growth of reeds and other plants around the lagoons which offer vital protection for the fish from predators.

Women play a key role in the project as they are heavily involved in fish processing and selling and women and children have traditionally been responsible for catching baby fish in shallow waters with mosquito nets in Malawi. Therefore our fish conservation committees include 30% female membership to ensure that they are fully involved and committed to the project.

We also work closely with schools near the breeding areas as well to ensure that children understand why they must no longer use mosquito nets to catch fish in the shallow waters. By educating the future fishers of Malawi, we hope to ensure that the approach that we are introducing has the longevity needed to make sure that there will be fish in Lake Malawi for future generations of Malawians.