Fish traders left in the lurch
Boniface Keakabetse | Monday September 29, 2014 09:22
On Tuesday, scores of fishermen revealed that they were directed by the council to vacate the open area near Ema Re Je complex in Boseja where the exporters package their fish.
The fishermen said the council told them that the area is a road reserve where commercial activities, like packaging fish, are not allowed. Since the beginning of the year, scores of fishermen have been crowding the place to sell dried fish to Zambian traders who buy and transport the fish to their country.
Fish traders began using the ungazzetedd place for packaging after government banned all foreigners from fishing at Lake Ngami.
The ungazzeted point is a popular meeting place for fishermen, buyers and transporters, although it doesn’t have basic amenities.
Speaking with MonitorBusiness, one of the fishermen, Diane Zambo, said the move by the council will adversely affect the booming fish business.
She revealed that there is a big demand for their fish in Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo. Zambo said due to high transportation costs, they cannot afford to export the fish on their own.
She said a big sack of fish sells for more than P2,000 in Zambia. Zambo said some fishermen also used to export the fish themselves but they have since stooped due to the Ebola outbreak in DRC. Efforts to get a comment from the Council were not fruitful at the time of going to press. However, the move by the council comes after concerns from councillors during the last full council meeting earlier this month, that the packaging centre is an eye sore.
The councillors complained that the place does not have basic services like toilets.
The lake which is situated 100 kilometres from Maun has emerged as Botswana biggest fishery since it begun flooding after decades of dryness.
Lake Ngami Fishing Cluster chairman Bareetsi Bogaisang said they are still working on forming a fishermen cooperative though the help of LEA. He said the cooperative will conduct fish marketing for all the member fishermen for the local and export markets.
Bogaisang said they have a partnership with a big Zambian company, Mige Agencies, for supply of 30-40 tonnes fish for export to Zambia. Bogaisang said one of the cooperative’s responsibilities will be to ensure that the fishing business meets all the stipulated health requirements for the local and international markets.
Meanwhile Ngamiland District Wildlife Coordinator Molothanyi Bolt Othomile revealed that they are planing on building ablution facilities at the lake as the place is being polluted by uncontrolled fishing.