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dam-l Moz. floods and Zamiban fisheries/LS
Two stories, one on Moz. floods and wetlands loss, and one on Zambian fisheries.
MOZAMBIQUE FLOODS WORSENED BY WETLAND LOSS
JOHANNESBURG - Floods that have devestated Mozambique and caused extensive
damage in neighbouring countries have been exacerbated by the loss of vital
wetlands, environmentalists said.
"Floods themselves are a natural occurrence...but the serverity of them has
been increased by poor land management," said David Lindley, a wetland
ecologist with the Rennies Wetlands Project (RWP), a group that promotes
wetland conservation outside protected areas.
Lindley and other conservationists say the serious erosion of wetlands and
overgrazing of grasslands on the upper watersheds of the Limpopo river in
Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa channelled raging waters into its lower
watersheds or catchments in Mozambique.
The result was a disaster which has killed at least several hundred people
and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Lindley said grasslands that are overgrazed or damaged by poor burning
practices are hardened, enabling water to flow over the ground and into
rivers instead of seeping into the soil.
Adding to the problem is the general shrinkage of wetland area as these
absorb excess water.
"A wetland is a sponge which soaks up extra water and then releases it
slowly into a watershed or river system. When you remove it you remove this
safety valve," said Richard Boon of the Wildlife and Environment Society of
South Africa.
HALF OF SOUTH AFRICA'S WETLANDS DESTROYED
"About 50 percent of our (South African) wetlands have been destroyed,
mostly through the draining of wetlands for agriculture or planting on
wetlands," said Lindley.
Lindley said sugar cane and plantations growing trees alien to the local
environment were the most common farms erected on wetlands.
"Exotic trees, especially gum and pine, are really hard on wetlands because
they use far more water than indigenous species of trees," he said.
Lindley said now was the time for governments in the region to address the
causes of the floods by working to restore wetlands and grasslands before
the next deluge strikes.
Of course, extra heavy rains are also to blame for the catastrophe.
Climatologists have attributed the torrential rains to exceptionally warm
surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean and the Mozambique Channel.
Some environmentalists say rising ocean temeperatures are a product of
global warming, which is believed to stem from vehicle and industrial carbon
dioxide emissions.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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ZAMBIAN FISHERMEN NOT ADHERING TO BAN MEANT TO INCREASE FISH STOCKS
By SINGY HANYONA
LUSAKA, Zambia--Seventy-six year -old Mutale Mwape lives in Kapena, a
fishing village around Lake Mweru-Luapula Fishery in Luapula Province of
Zambia. He has never been to school, neither has he heard of the internet or
the website. From the age of nine, Mwape learned about the fishing industry
and has been fishing ever since.
But recently the government of Zambia has instituted a ban that could
threaten his livelihood. The Department of Fisheries, empowered by an Act of
Parliament CAP 200 (1974), instituted a fishing ban to any fishery that
practices over-fishing or any danger that can lead to the reduction of fish
in the nation's waters. Mwape is among the 25,000 fishermen in Zambia who
have been affected by the government's fishing ban policy.
The ban was created to allow the fish to increase in quantity, grow, breed
and also give time to fingerlings of fish to pass the vulnerable stage.
During this period, nobody is allowed to fish as this is the peak period for
breeding. The period runs from December to February. Unfortunately, despite
the high levels of awareness about the existence and stipulations of the
fish ban policy among fishermen in Zambia, the closed season policy is not
observed.
According to findings, poverty and lack of alternatives are the main reasons
for not adhering to the policy. The fishermen contend that no one should be
punished or harassed for contravening the fish ban, the reason being that
fishing is their livelihood and main source of income generation.
Some of the fishermen interviewed cannot hesitate to comment : "The
authority confiscate the nets and increase the poverty. They bring confusion
to the lake. They beat us up and go away with our nets. "The fishery has
been in existence for a long time and fish has not diminished. Why should we
be punished now when we want to earn money for our children?"
But the government says the intention of the ban is to make the fisheries
sector significantly contribute to the national economy through improved
nutrition, generation of income and creation of gainful employment. Director
of Planning and Information in the Ministry of Environment and Natural
Resources Lubinda Aongola says like many other natural resources based
industries, the future of the fisheries industry in Zambia stands in
jeopardy.
"Environmental degradation of aquatic habitats and poor fisheries management
have been singled out as the factors exerting pressure on the fishing
resources. "This is because of increased involvement of people as the
economy declines and the associated widespread use of wrong fishing methods.
Some of the factors that hinder growth and sustainability of the fishing
industry include government's inadequate capacity to supervise and control
fishing activities," said Aongola.
In Zambia, the fishing industry has over the years continued to be one of
the important contributors not only to animal protein food, but to
employment as well. The ever constricting economy has and still is
compelling many to join the fish industry. The closure of companies,
retrenchments, early retirements, youth unemployment which have
characterized the liberalization period have left many economically stranded
with little or no options to earn a livelihood. With fewer choices, many are
compelled to join the fish industry whose capital base is minimal and
affordable.
It is further estimated that there are over 30,000 small-scale fishermen and
women in Zambia, 70 industrial companies operating on Lakes Kariba and
Tanganyika, 20 commercial fish farmers and about 10,000 small-scale fish
farmers. This ranks the fishing industry the third largest employer after
agriculture and mining sectors. This is why the fishermen want to form their
own associations to represent their interests. Research results indicate
that these proposed fisher associations would "ensure that thefts of nets on
the lake are checked and stopped." They would also help in ensuring that
correct methods of fishing are used and also raise funds to help each other
during crisis like funerals. A fisheries officer agrees with the move: "The
fishermen and women claim that they can take care of the fish ban themselves
by selling the confiscated fish. They want to give authority to traditional
Chiefs and Headmen."
Copyright (c) 2000 The Earth Times http://www.earthtimes.org/lowgraphics.htm
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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