The Siavonga District Administration has appealed to the department of livestock and fisheries in to immediately put to a stop and arrest fishermen in the district using insect treated mosquito nets in catching fish in both Lake Kariba and the Zambezi River.
Siavonga District Commissioner Lovemore Kanyama is suggesting that the department in partnership with other agencies should be conducting patrols and stop this negative habit of fishermen using mosquito nets.
Mr. Kanyama says in as much as some people are using fishing as a business, they should desist from using insect treated mosquito nets in catching fish.
“Day and night water patrols must be effective and bring to book those fishermen in the habit of using mosquito nets for fishing. Their homes must equally be searched and have the fishing nets confiscated,” he said.
“Reports reaching my office is that we have indiscipline fishermen using dangerous methods of fishing on the waters of Siavonga.”
He said those found wanting must be blacklisted and banned for life from fishing on Lake Kariba.
“I know my officers from the department of livestock and fisheries have gone to sleep, the practice of using mosquito nets has been going on for some months. Let’s not just concentrate on taxes, but also on the methods being used to catch the fish you collecting tax from. The Department Livestock and fisheries must team up with the Siavonga town council as part of the council revenue is coming from the fish industry,” he said.