Mbenje Island in Lake Malawi Has an Annual Fishing ban to Safeguard Important Fish Species

To help preserve the valuable fish stock, fishermen operating off the coast of Lake Malawi’s Mbenje island adhere to strict regulations. Only vessels with a license are permitted to fish in these seas, and their gear must meet regulations to prevent overfishing.

To support spawning and the growth of juvenile fish, fishing of any kind is prohibited in the waters off the island for four months of the year. Chief Makanjira, the island’s traditional ruler and head of the local fisheries management team, is in charge of enforcing the prohibition.

The Department of Fisheries is in charge of enforcing the two-month restriction elsewhere on Lake Malawi. For small-scale fisheries, it runs from November 1 to December 31. Instead of focusing on commercial fishing, the community-based fisheries management team on Mbenje Island is working to increase opportunities for small-scale fishing enterprises.

Lake Malawi, the third-largest lake in Africa and the southernmost of the African rift lakes, is located in Malawi. It is 560 kilometers long, has a highest known depth of 700 meters, has a total surface area of 28,000 km2, and is home to more than 1,000 species.

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