DWINDLING FOOD-FISH SPECIES AND FISHERS PREFERENCE - PROBLEMS OF CONSERVING LAKE MALAWI BIODIVERSITY

Most of Malawi's popular food-fish species are in decline. The fishers attribute this decline to overfishing, changes in climate, inadequate fishing technology and supernatural powers. Sedimentation of the lake and rivers due to poor agricultural practices, which can also be impl icated in the demise of Malawi's fisheries, was not recognized by the fishers. This study tested and confirmed that the fishers would readil y switch to exploiting ornamental fish (Mbuna) for subsistence and cas h if the more favoured food-fish species continued to dwindle. However , as most of the Mbuna species are localized to specific rocky habitat s and are endemic to certain parts of the lake, they may be vulnerable to overfishing. To safeguard Lake Malawi's rich fish species diversit y: (i) alternative economic opportunities for the lakeshore people sho uld be identified, evaluated and promoted to alleviate the fishing pre ssure, (ii) the Department of Fisheries should collaborate with local fishermen in promoting sustainable fish utilization, e.g., through pub lic campaigns aimed at sensitizing fishermen on the status of the fish eries and the vulnerability of some fish communities to overfishing an d environmental degradation, and (iii) the degree of Mbuna exploitatio n, now that the popular food fishes are in decline, should be monitore d and, where necessary, regulated to promote sustainability.