By Hope Nyondo, Contributor
The Department of Fisheries says it is working tirelessly to ensure that this year’s Biomass Survey ends in time so that it does not collide with the end of the closed period for fishing which starts on 1st November in Lake Malawi.
Principal Fisheries Officer in the Department, who is also team leader for the 2023 Biomass Survey, Salim M’balaka said this on Wednesday at the Fisheries Research Station in Mangochi-Monkey Bay while commenting on the ongoing exercise which Started on 28th October.
The Department through the Capture Fisheries Division in conjunction with the Oceanographic Institute of Mozambique is conducting a joint Lake-wide biomass assessment survey in Lake Malawi with the aim of among others assess current fish biomass levels by supplementing bottom trawling with hydro acoustic techniques.
M’balaka said the survey also seeks to establish numbers of fish species available in Lake Malawi, establish the quality of water in the lake, data, which he says is essential to policy makers and researchers who also contribute largely to fish management such as on the restoration of depleted fish species.
He said: “The survey which is targeting Karonga, Nkhata Bay, NKhotakota, Metangula, Salima, Dedza and Mangochi districts is one of its kind due to its involvement of regional partners and it will additionally look into the number of boats that can be allocated to harvest fish in the lake’’
M’balaka added that the department is committed to ensure that the exercise is concluded by November 30 2023 so that fishing period is opened for commercial fishers by 1st December 2023 despite challenges the department is facing during the survey such as inadequate of fuel for boats it is using now.
He has therefore hailed Beach Village Committees along Lake Malawi for their Cooperation towards this year’s Biomass Survey which has drawn researchers from different institutions namely the Department of Fisheries- Monkey Bay and Senga Bay Research Station, Oceanographic Institute of Mozambique, Malawi University of Science and Technology among others.
The survey is being conducted with support from Refresh Project a project that strives to restore and protect fish species in various lakes in Malawi with funding from USAID, University of Cambridge, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Watershed Management (SFAD-WM) Project and Chipoka Project Just to mention but a few.
Elijah Katantha is the Refresh project Technician for Mangochi District and he says the project is interested to protect Aquatic species hence the support considering the important role the fishing industry plays to the growth of the country’s economy.
Lake Malawi is the only water body that has more fish species among Fresh Water lakes in the world.