The establishment and the growth of settlements along Lake Mweru are very recent. In research areas, the first settlers came before 1920 and were mainly subsistence fishermen/farmers. These areas are presently referred to as “peri-urban” and are lively, enterprising and obviously very attractive.
The main reason for this attraction has been and still is the commercialisation of the fisheries. New people came with new methods and the increase in commercial activity resulted in a whole range of economic opportunities. People with diverse backgrounds have been attracted to the area. Both men and women benefited from these developments.
The increase in population and commercial activity is perceived by most respondents as positive and is referred to as “development”. Unfortunately, immigration produces several effects which form a threat to the future of the area. They relate to the decrease in catch per effort (7.1) and the pressure on land and firewood in the proximity of settlements (7.2).
Although these two developments are clearly an effect of immigration the fact that control and management of the areas has eroded simultaneously facilitated these developments (7.3).
The decrease in the demersal fisheries is large although the total catch of the lake has remained relatively steady, compensated by an increase in the pelagic fishery. Since more people are expected to come to the area this is a serious trend. The Chisense fishermen mentioned that their catches have also decreased. Although the situation in the pelagic fishery is not as extreme as in the demersal, it is alarming. The Chisense fishery started on a large scale only 10 years ago and it can be assumed that more and more fishermen will go into it, partly because of the influx of people and partly because fishermen move to chisense after experiencing too many difficulties in the demersal fishery.
The people affected most are the smaller-scale fishermen who cannot afford to buy more nets. Also the small scale traders who have to compete with bigger-scale traders for an increasingly lower catch rate and smaller fish.
Fishermen react in several ways to the decrease in their catches. First, they increase the number of nets and effort. Second, they use nets with smaller mesh sizes and are more inclined to fish in the richer but closed “mifimbo” zones. Both reactions cause an even greater pressure on fisheries. Third, they move into the chisense fishery or sometimes into agriculture, trade, or some other activity.
The demand for nets has grown considerably: an increased number of people are requesting an increased number of nets. Besides, the low catches have caused a shift toward the use of smaller meshed nets and the catch of smaller breams, reflecting their younger age.
This demand for nets is not met in Zambia, and nets are now acquired mainly via Zairean traders in exchange for fish. The unofficial trade makes it much more difficult to control the supply of illegal types of nets. Any type is in use at the moment.
Related to the demand/supply of nets is the high incidence of theft. Theft of nets has become common along the south-eastern coast of the lake. According to the fishermen the thieves are either outsiders (Nchelenge/Zaire); “loafers” (young men that come for work, hang around the village looking for a job, and are often drinking) or “struggling fishermen”, desperate to replace their (stolen) nets. Thus it can be concluded that increasing demand combined with decreasing social control have encouraged this development. The fishermen have found a strategy to counter this development: the use of vessels. It should be noted that the possession or use of vessels is only for the rich. Besides, it does not ensure 100% security: the thief with his boat and engine can easily steal the most distant nets without the guards noticing or being able to do anything. Smaller-scale fishermen also start guarding the nets with their boats.
Land for settlement in village clusters is becoming scarce; this is especially true of land for cultivation in the proximity of village clusters; it is getting exhausted, as described in the case study. This pressure is likely to increase because still more people are still coming in.
The problem is not the availability of land or trees per se, but the availability of land and trees in the proximity of village clusters and the lake. Since settlers come mainly for fishing or fishery-related activities, they want to live near the water and the markets. trees in the proximity of village clusters and the lake. Since settlers come mainly for fishing or fishery-related activities, they want to live near the water and the markets. However, as soon as they decide to settle, they want to go into agriculture.
Agriculture is seen as a form of security. Households cultivate for subsistence. For the women in the household, agriculture is their most important source of food and income and they cater for an increasing group of fishermen. Older fishermen shift attention from fishing to agriculture. The fishermen increasingly try to cultivate vegetables or lima crops to cover some of the expenses, which becomes more attractive because of the increasing risks in fishery. Households rely more on agriculture in the closed season — although the problem of coinciding labour peaks makes it very difficult “for struggling fishermen” to take up -- and there seems to be a trend towards diversifying activities in order to counter increasing risks.
One of the effects of this pressure is the tendency to cultivate for longer periods on the same plot, causing exhaustion of soil fertility. Others borrow or rent land in order to be able to cultivate a little. In Kafulwe especially, people moved, either temporarily or permanently, to the forest area further away from the lake.
Another effect of the pressure is that women have to walk longer distances to collect wood for household use. Firewood is also collected for smoking or for sale to processors. The move to the salting method indicates that it becomes more costly -- in terms of money or effort -- to obtain firewood. Salting, however, needs more cash investment (salt, drums, a reasonable amount of fish) making it more difficult for resource poor households to take it up. Besides, it is likely that a larger part of the salted fish goes to Zaire.
Traditional control as well as control via government institutions has eroded over the years. Respect and authority for traditional leadership are dwindling. Next to an overall erosion of traditional leadership since the colonial times, there are two specific reasons for this situation: the influx of people who do not have a strong bond with this leadership, and a change in the attitude towards traditional leadership and norms from urban-based people.
The status of the Department of Fisheries has been affected by the bias of national policies toward agriculture, which does not reflect the fact that in Luapula Province many people depend on fisheries and related activities. The Department of Fisheries has been given the responsibility to manage a crucial resource but not the means and the status to do so. At present they do not have either the staff or the means to undertake necessary activities to manage fisheries.
Political parties do not take the management effort seriously, and declare the lake open and closed at whim, which is very damaging to the credibility of these management interventions and the Fisheries Department.
