Malawi: Icelanders Collaborating with the African Development Bank at Lake Malawi

15.5.2008

The African Development Bank has requested collaboration with ICEIDA in Malawi concerning experimental fishing on Lake Malawi to evaluate the feasibility of improving fishing equipment which Icelanders have been developing with the locals over the past years to fish outside shallow waters. According to Stefán Kristmannsson, ICEIDA’s Project Manager for Fisheries in Malawi, it is expected that joint results a year from now will establish ways to improve the situation of poor fishermen and their families around Lake Malawi.

“This collaboration is a natural continuation of our project,” says Stefán. “The goals will not change but the African Development Bank will participate fully with additional funds and data will be shared.”

ICEIDA’s five year project regarding the technical development of small boats on Lake Malawi started in 2005. The project consists of three factors, fisheries research, training and fishing gear technique. The locals at Monkey Bay carry out the project but the project manager is Icelandic. “The premises of this work are the results of research concerning the lake’s fish stocks which have indicated untapped fishing stocks in deep water but the average fisherman cannot reach them,” says Stefán. “Great amount of people fish on the lake, mostly in shallow waters where stocks are decreasing. Some fishermen go a long way to reach better waters and take considerable amount of risk on primitive boats,” he adds.

Fisheries research has been a regular part of the project with sampling from unshipped catch in addition to research of the behavior of fish types. Another important part of the project pertains to training for fishermen, fish processors and sales people and Stefán says that little less than two thousand people have received training concerning safety when sailing on water and first aid. A little less than one thousand people from fishing villages around the lake have also attended a course on the basic factors of commerce, women just as much as men.