Senior Chief Lulanga of Mangochi District has urged stakeholders in the fisheries sector to enforce a ban on the use of monofilaments or illegal fishing gear on Lake Malawi, saying the malpractice is counterproductive.

The chief said this on Friday at the end of a two-day fisheries stakeholder meeting in Monkey Bay, Mangochi which Pact Malawi organised with funding from United States Agency for International Development.

Lulanga, who was among other chiefs from Mangochi, including Mponda, Makanjira and Nankumba, said the use of illegal fishing gear has become common practice in Mangochi, adding that the malpractice endangers existing fish species in the lake.

He said: “Stakeholders should learn from Tanzania which successfully banned the use of monofilaments on their lakes.

“We can also manage by monitoring the importation of gears from Zambia where they come from.”

Lulanga commended the coordination by different stakeholders on the ban of some fishing gears, saying the move helped to restore species of some endangered fish, including chambo.

Pact Malawi, through the Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihood (Refresh) project, brought together traditional leaders, fisheries officers and local fisheries management authorities from Mangochi, Dedza and Nkhotakota to discuss the danger of using monfilament.

Refresh project deputy chief of party Amakhosi Jere described traditional leaders as catalysts for effective enforcement of the ban on the use of illegal fishing.

He said through the project, they are committed to dealing with fishing malpractices by engaging the media, fishers and traders who import and sell illegal fishing gear.

Jere said the formulation of national and district level stakeholder task forces will be key to dealing with the use of illegal fishing gear on the lake

Refresh project, which started in October 2019, seeks to enhance management and conservation of fish biodiversity in Lake Malawi.

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