Lake Nyasa, neglected Africa’s treasure

By Felix Mwakyembe
MBEYA, October 25, 2007 - Lake Nyasa, a fresh water source shared by Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi abounds with a myriad of fish species, but lack of concerted development plan by the three countries has denied the local communities any significant benefits from the lake’s abundant riches.

The fishing industry on Tanzania side is still underdeveloped at the level of communal economies. Reports by Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) say the situation has complicated monitoring of illegal fishing in the lake because TAFIRI is ill equipped.

Outdated fishing practices have left the miserable communities in the Tanzania Lake’s basin who employ outdated fishing practices, struggling for a living and some resorting to illegal fishing.

TAFIRI Kyela Centre Acting Director, Jonathan Kihedu blames underdevelopment of the area due to non-exploitation of ecotourism in the lake’s basin and the underdeveloped fishing industry.
“Lake Nyasa’s profile is relatively low in Tanzania and donors are not willing to support us, claiming we do not have waters,” he says.

Kihedu adds that due to lack of a common goal by the three countries sharing the lake’s water, there are no lake-related common projects established so far. Tanzania also does not have any.

“Fishing in Lake Nyasa is 100 percent localized, using local fishing facilities. In such an environment we need facilities and enough staff to enable us perform our duties effectively,” Kyela District Fisheries Officer (DFO), Aron Mwasota advised.

Lake Nyasa lies below and on the Western side of Mt. Livingstone ranges. One of Tanzania’s fresh water reservoirs, the lake is bordered by the hills of Rungwe and Kyela district in Mbeya region. From the East, its features are picturesque. Viewed from the hills above, Lake Nyasa is a splendid sight.
This beautiful reflection of water reservoir below the Rungwe range teems with unique species like the mbasa, mbele and usipa (dagaa), all local names for barilias microlepis, barilias microcephalus and graulycpris respectively.

The species are regular delicacies for many communities in Tanzania and its Southern neighbours. The presence of species like tilapia (perege), clerias (kambare), bugras (mbofu), engraulycpris (dagaa), barbaus (mbagale) and labeo (ningu), make Lake Nyasa one of Tanzania’s rich food source.

In addition, there are colored fish species, highly in demand in the world market, but threatened with extinction from illegal fishing on the Tanzania side of the lake. In any illegal trade, the species are fished and exported through Malawi.

“There are about a thousand species of colored cichlids in the lake. We need to have a proper inventory to preserve and invest them in the business,” observes Kihedu.

Common fishing facilities in the lake include nets like gill, purse seine, beach seine. Hooks and traps are also employed. Kihedu, however, associates the catch of young immature fish to their breeding behavior.

The DFO clarified that beach seine nets, traps and hooks contribute to the depopulation of fish in the lake for they catch young immature fish, the malpractice prohibited by law.

“Most of fishes in Lake Nyasa are of anandromous species which live in the lake but breed in the rivers. People trap them easily by blocking their paths in the rivers and catch everything swimming downstream regardless their sizes. This affects fish population in the lake,” explains Mwasota.
Even the ornamental fish living in great depths of the lake are not safe from these destructive fishing methods.

Mwasota confirmed to The African that for over a decade now, his department has never received even a single boat, let alone an engine for a vessel to monitor fishing activities in the lake.

Kyela Fisheries is indeed ailing, having just four officers instead of the required ten. The Beach Management Units (BMU) established in villages along the lake’s shore to fight illegal fishing is still ineffective due to lack of motivating resources at the district level, and fishing by canoes is posing more threat to many fish species. Iringa and Ruvuma regions bordering the lake are also suffering the same fate.

Mwasota suggests introduction of Savings and Credit Societies (SACCOS) for the people living along the lake to give them capitals to start business.
TAFIRI experts in Kyela district consider Lake Nyasa as the only remaining lake in the world with fresh water.

Kihedu confirms that, explaining: “It is not polluted and it was due to this fact that the water body could be considered as the world heritage.”

The lake’s unpolluted status is an outcome of the mountainous feature of its catchments, which prevent over population in the area. Importantly, Lake Nyasa has an ecotourism that fosters the local conservation of nature and absence of hunting works in that favour.

However, despite the natural wealth, the local people still languish in poverty. The two species of barilias microlepis and barilias microcephalus are so expensive that the local people can hardly afford them, leaving the delicious fishes mostly for the employed communities of Dar es Salaam city hundred of miles away.

“How a poor peasant can manage to buy a fish at ten thousand shillings when he lives below a US dollar a day, asked Emma Kiketelo, a Kyela resident.

Lack of unity among Lake Nyasa’s fishermen has allowed middlemen to exploit them and aggravate their poverty. Given the harsh economical environment, the local people have therefore surrendered to the onslaught of external more powerful bargaining of the middlemen, watching pathetically as their prestigious and delicious fish species are transported to feed more affluent resident of distant urban centres.

Kyela District Natural Resource Officer Ali Libenanga considers Lake Nyasa as one of the richest sites with plenty of tourist attractions like the beautiful mountainous ranges of the Livingstone.
The lake’s shores are attractive and local animals in its basin and the natural vegetation add to that appeal.

The local community too provides a myriad of cultural magnetism. There are traditional dances or ngomas, and pieces of handcraft like pots and mats made out of reeds from the lake shores.