Malawi's REFRESH Project Strengthens Fish Sanctuary Monitoring in Lake Malawi
This exercise, conducted at the Namaso, Mbeya, and Malembo BVCs, also aimed to establish species diversity counts for each sanctuary.
MANGOCHI, Malawi - The Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi (REFRESH) project, which is set to run from 2019 to 2024 and is implemented by PACT Malawi, has ramped up its monitoring of fish sanctuaries by enhancing the capacity of Beach Village Committees (BVC) in Mangochi district, writes Maureen Kawerama.
Project Technician Elijah Katantha, affiliated with the Community Initiative for Self-Reliance, one of REFRESH's implementing partners, elucidated the exercise's goal as compiling a comprehensive list of fish species inhabiting the sanctuaries.
This exercise, conducted at the Namaso, Mbeya, and Malembo BVCs, also aimed to establish species diversity counts for each sanctuary.
"Refresh's objective is to restore fisheries resources in Lake Malawi. Therefore, the sanctuary monitoring exercise is a pivotal activity in assessing the management of the sanctuaries. Through this exercise, we have identified species that had been absent for the past two years, such as Lake Salmon Mpasa fish," explained Katantha.
Katantha highlighted that the results of the monitoring exercise align with the project's overarching mission of preserving the freshwater biodiversity of Lake Malawi.
Crucially, the project seeks to restore fish species and enhance productivity in the lakeshore districts of Karonga, Rumphi, Likoma, Nkhata-Bay, Nkhotakota, Salima, Dedza, and Mangochi.
In response to these developments, Chikagwa Aipila Banda, Chairperson of the Mbeya BVC, expressed gratitude to REFRESH for the sanctuary monitoring exercise. He emphasized that it enabled the sampling of fish species present in the man-made aquatic conservation sites.
"Most of the time, it's challenging for us to identify the various fish species within our sanctuaries. This exercise has now helped us in species sampling. For instance, through the exercise, we've discovered that our sanctuary is home to diverse species like Mcheni, Mdyamphipe, Chiyendammwamba, Mbuna, Kadyankhono, Mpasa, Mcheni, Bonya, and Chitowawa. This information will be invaluable in our fisheries conservation planning," Banda shared his expectations.
Eunice Themba, another community member, encouraged women to actively participate in conserving the fisheries resources of Lake Malawi.
"People often think that fish conservation is solely a man's job. However, as women, we can support our men in various ways and actively engage in fish conservation. Many of us in Mangochi rely on fisheries resources for our livelihoods. Therefore, fish conservation shouldn't be perceived as exclusively for men," explained Themba while helping men push the fishnets into the water.
The REFRESH project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented by a consortium led by PACT, with core partners including the University of Rhode Island (URI) and Techno Serve (TNS), as well as local/regional partners such as the Community Initiative for Self-Reliance (CISER), Find Your Feet, and African Parks.
In Mangochi district, the project's implementation is overseen by the Community Initiative for Self-Reliance (CISER).