“Business has never been this rewarding,” he confesses more to him self than to anyone else. “But don’t go around telling people that I make money here,” he warns before bursting into laughter at his business ‘premises’ on Old Lobatse Road opposite Old Naledi. Not from where he sells his fish, a middle-aged man sits on a 20-litre container under a tree with a half empty carton of Chibuku. He looks assiduous and suspicious of strangers. He thinks that officials from the department of wildlife or fisheries have come to confiscate his illegal catch.
The fishing season has ended butthis has not deterred people like Makhumbira and his colleague. Except for Makhumbira, not all the fishermen in the makeshift fish market by the road welcome strangers. “Young man what really do you want? Do you want to buy fish or learn to catch one? These are some of the questions that some of those involved in the business fire at strangers. But the business is thriving under a Mosu tree. Buyers easily get mesmerised by the look of dried or fresh fish hanging by the road.
Makhumbira’s fishing business started in 2001. It is his only source of income. He makes more profit during public holidays when people have enough time to stop and buy his catch. He prepares his fishing-lines and nets in the early hours of the morning before ‘sneaking’ into the dam. He does not have a fishing licence but this does not worry him. He catches brim fish, snoek, kabeljou, hake and kingklip. He sells a snoek between P30 to P50.
Another fisherman, Boikhutlo Steven says the most important species caught by a fish line are brim, cod and yellowtail. In 2002, a youthful Steven left his hair cutting business to become a fisherman.
But illegal fishing at the Gaborone Dam has a conflicting history. Every one claims to be a founding member of the business. Even the youthful Steven. “I developed interest in fishing in those years when the dam was overflowing,” announces 63-year-old Makhumbira more to his rivals than to anyone else.
After selling fish, the men start on the next activity - drinking. But unlike other fisherman, 31-year-old Steven sits silently on a white chair and waits patiently for his next customer.
He appears to have a superior sense of business etiquette than the rest of his colleagues. “These ones are hygienically tested and nutritional,” he says pointing at his fish.
He bursts into laughter before taking a swig from a Chibuku carton. Steven is famous for his brims. A Chinese man who has been patiently waiting for other patrons to disperse walks briskly towards Steven. He begins mumbling about the “highly priced brims”. He is full of humour. Steven convinces him to buy. But this is a trade taking place in a filthy environment. But Steven looks indifferent. “These guys are not experienced fishermen, they are just desperate unemployed people masquerading as fishermen,” says James Aweto who runs a fast food joint at Bontleng Mall. The young businessman says Batswana are not regular fish eaters and his customers are foreigners.
Duncan Baxter, a renowned fisherman in Maun says that there is over-fishing because of the perception that fish belongs to everyone and no one. He says where fishing licenses have been issued, there has been a drop in over- fishing.
He called for laws to regulate the fishing industry. He says the kind of fishing practiced by Makhumbira and his colleagues will deplete stock.
Botswana imports about 90 percent of fish and fish products to meet local demands.
Officials of the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) say they can only charge illegal fishermen with trespassing and poaching. WUC spokesperson Masegonyana Madisa said they patrol the Gaborone dam daily to ensure adherence to fishing regulations and contract agreements.
He says WUC has issued 12 licences at four major dams, Gaborone and Shashe dams have been allocated four licences each while Letsibogo and Bokaa dams received two licences each.
