The end of a divisive issue

| Friday April 30, 2010 00:00

SAMOCHIMA: Lakes, lagoons, aquatic plants, animals and birds make  up Botswana's most famous landmark, the Okavango Delta, a majestic sight to behold.

First visitors to the delta are attracted by the sight of stubborn hippos, crocodiles, elephants drinking water, lions on a hunting spree and buffaloes, amongst a variety of the wildlife here. In a nutshell, this depicts the beauty of the delta.

The delta is reported to be home to over 400 species of birds. Selected areas of the delta are reserved for fishing for commercial, subsistence and recreational purposes. The abundance of the flora found along the delta is a breathtaking sight with its attractive greenery and an explosion of mottled blossoms hanging from reeds that seemingly grow in the water.

Chicks (the young of birds) make forlorn cries in the reeds as heavy movement in the delta disturbs their parents. A closer look at the delta presents a complex picture of nature itself. The animals, the birds, the fish, the plants and the vast bodies of water have all blended into a complex - if often delicate - symbiosis. The Okavango Delta, one of Botswana's premier tourist attractions, is certainly a place to visit. It covers an area of roughly 17, 000 square kilometres.

The best way of exploring the delta the world's largest inland delta is through water safari. Motor powered boats or traditional dugout canoes are the recommended means of exploring the lagoons and the various river channels for a fulfilling experience in the waters.

My experience last Saturday at the delta village of Samochima will remain indelible in my mind as we cruised in the Okavango in a convoy of three motor powered boats. We were on a guided tour of the delta specially arranged for our group to appreciate the established fishing-free zones in the Upper Panhandle. Here fishing has been frozen (pardon the pun) for regeneration and research purposes.

The occasion was the launch of a code of conduct for responsible fishing in the Okavango Delta Panhandle. The initiative is part of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) support to biodiversity conservation in Botswana through the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The code of conduct aims to improve fisheries management in the Okavango Delta through the development of local participatory governance structures that guide the use, access of fish resources and conflict resolution by different user groups.

Being the first time I cruised in the delta, I could not agree more that for leisure lovers and adventurers, the delta is the place to go and no one can ever get enough of it. Even regular visitors to the delta will testify that the experience is always different. Those with the wherewithal fly over the delta in light aircraft or helicopters.

For Samochima and other delta villages, the Okavango Delta means everything. It is simply a source of life. 'The fish we catch here means everything to us,' declares Kgosi Kea Lempadi of Shakawe who represents the Okavango at Ntlo-ya-Dikgosi. Kgosi Lempadi was giving a welcome address at the Samochima kgotla last Saturday at the official launch of the code of conduct for responsible fishing in the Okavango. He expressed his passion for fishing and described the Okavango Delta as the backbone of the economy of Samochima and areas like Ngarange, Sepopa and Shakawe.

At the break of dawn, he said, men and women 'make a beeline' for the delta. 'If they need a roof over their heads, they gather reeds. If they need food, they get it in abundance in the form of fish and other edible plants.' Kgosi Lempadi praised the fisheries section of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) for coming up with a proposal to regulate fishing along the delta, saying the exercise should help in the effective management of the resource. An fisheries official, Isang Alidi, pointed out that it was important for delta villages - from Habu to Seronga - to abide by the code of conduct because they would be its end users.The Director of Environmental Affairs, Steve Monna, described the event as a milestone, saying the code maps a common future towards the management of a resource that different fisher user groups value highly. Monna said he was aware that conflicts had ensued before, but was happy that stakeholders had managed to establish a way forward, thanks to the BIOKAVANGO Project, in collaboration with Okavango Fisheries Management Committee (OFMC), tour operators, Okavango Fisheries Association (OFA), DWNP (Fisheries Unit) and all other interested stakeholders.

'It will go a long way in assisting the government in the management of the fisheries resources in the Okavango Delta,' he said. Another speaker, Kgosi Sabu Kakuru of Samochima, took related his experiences as a fisherman in the years of yore. 'In the past, we used to fish for subsistence,' he said. 'But as time went on, we realised the importance of fishing beyond just feeding our families.'

The elderly man said after realising that fish was an important source of revenue as well, the villagers turned to commercial fishing, using nets to support their families. 'Unfortunately, in the past, conflicts developed which ended up with reports reaching the office of the then Vice President, Ian Khama, who is now the President,' he reminisced. The conflicts were between native fishermen and the predominantly white tour operators. Reports say guns were nearly used as the conflicts increasingly assumed a racial aspect. One fisherman died after his dugout canoe capsized in the river after it ran into huge wages created by a powerful motorboat driven by a white tour operator. The native fishermen threatened to take up arms to avenge their tribesman.

The relationship between the two groups developed into a cat-and-mouse affair before it got better after the intervention of President Khama. Subsequently, other stakeholders were roped in to find a solution, among them BIOKAVANGO, OFMC, OFA and DWNP. 'I must thank the fishermen for having handled their issues without a drop of blood,' said Kgosi Kakuru. Those who have been thinking that they own water rights in the delta should give others a chance.'

The MP for the Okavango, Bagalatia Arone, agreed that the delta means everything to the villagers. Fish, he said, is part of his culture and regards it as a very important dish. 'Fish is very important to us,' Arone said. 'From childhood, a month has never passed without fish in my meals.' He appeals for responsible fishing in the delta so that future generations will also benefit from the resource. 'We should be grateful that the code of conduct has finally been sealed and that it will hopefully benefit stakeholders,' he said. 'We should look into the future with the hope of good sustenance for generations to come.'

A lodge owner, Jan Drotsky and his son Donavan, said they were also happy that a code of conduct was launched. 'I think it is a very good start,' Jan said. 'It wouldn't have helped if the matter was one-sided and I duly accept all the 10 commandments for responsible fishing in the delta.' Said Donovan: 'We have been attending kgotla meetings and addressing our differences in the delta since 1994, and now it seems we have reached the end of a divisive issue.' He added that the community and fishermen would be watching to see if stakeholders observed the rules they set for themselves. Sixty-two year-old Samakokore Dieve welcomed the code of conduct because irresponsible fishing could affect the resource. The man who has two wives and 11 children started subsistence fishing in 1970 and is involved on a fulltime basis now. He also regards the delta as a source of life. He once quit fishing for gardening but has since returned to the job he loves the most.

He has a monthly turnover of about P2, 000. He gets a licence for P200 for the whole season from the fisheries department. Saushiko Njwake (63) started fishing at the age of 23. He also started off fishing for subsistence purposes but has been fishing commercially since 1996. Like Dieve, Njwake has two wives and 11 children. Fish plays a crucial role in the family. 'Since 1996, my life has been improving a lot. I specialise in tiger fish, barbell and bream which I sell to people coming from Gaborone, Francistown and as far as Ghanzi,' he says, adding that his makes between P3, 000 and P4, 000 a month. He is happy that the code of conduct launched last Saturday has brought peace between stakeholders and hopes business will improve for all.

Dieve and Njwake are part of about 400 fishermen who ply their trade in the delta. Njwake is the Chairperson of the Okavango Fishermen Association and is proud that 'once we do our business under cordial conditions, it will obviously thrive'.

Regulated is expected to preserve the beauty of the delta and encourage stakeholders to fish without harming the environment.As we finally alighted from the noisy motorboats, birds made themselves heard as they returned to their hunting grounds in the reeds and the waters. Dugout canoes or mekoro immediately returned to use as the delta waters had calmed down. Fellow scribes on the tour with me - Tshephang Monare of Btv, Bright Kholi of the Ngami Times, Selamba Samunzala from Information Services, Justice Kahavematui from the Guardian/Sun and Geoff Khwarae from BIOKAVANGO - agree that the Okavango Delta is awe-inspiring.