News / National
Zanu-PF's Mugwadi parades his net fishing catch
27 Jan 2021 at 15:57hrs | Views
Zanu-PF Director of Information Tafadzwa Mugwadi paraded his net fishing adventures at Nyazvidzi River, which borders around being illegal.
In Zimbabwe fishing by rod or line fishing, except in some few special cases, is free for all.
But using a fishing net (gill net, lift net, seine net) requires a licence. The licence for net fishing is issued by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management usually relying on recommendations made by Agritex. The most popular method of net fishing in small water body fisheries is the gill net. Before a gill net licence is issued Agritex carries out fish stock assessment to determine the amount of fishing pressure that can be applied over and above the existing effort. The licence specifies the length of the net, the number of nets to be used, the mesh size and the water body or bodies in which fishing should take place. A special permit is required for the use of explosives, firearms, chemicals, poison, intoxicating substances and electrical devices.
A fisherman caught using a net without a licence can receive a fine or imprisonment.
However, George Charamba said, "What is not allowed is to harvest small fish with the nets. Good, lawful harvesters throwback small fish, while keeping old ones for the pot!!"
The Parks and Wildlife Act (Chapter 20:14) deals with control of wildlife, fish and plants as well as protection of natural landscapes and scenery.
Fishing has rules and regulations, but Mugwadi violated them and went on to parade his poaching adventures amid Covid-19.
"ZimParks should act, but we know they won't because he is Zanu PF. Even police can act for breach of lockdown regulations (unless he had exemption) and fish poaching. If there isn't selective application of the law, then they must act. This is poaching," a conservationist said.
In Zimbabwe fishing by rod or line fishing, except in some few special cases, is free for all.
But using a fishing net (gill net, lift net, seine net) requires a licence. The licence for net fishing is issued by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management usually relying on recommendations made by Agritex. The most popular method of net fishing in small water body fisheries is the gill net. Before a gill net licence is issued Agritex carries out fish stock assessment to determine the amount of fishing pressure that can be applied over and above the existing effort. The licence specifies the length of the net, the number of nets to be used, the mesh size and the water body or bodies in which fishing should take place. A special permit is required for the use of explosives, firearms, chemicals, poison, intoxicating substances and electrical devices.
A fisherman caught using a net without a licence can receive a fine or imprisonment.
However, George Charamba said, "What is not allowed is to harvest small fish with the nets. Good, lawful harvesters throwback small fish, while keeping old ones for the pot!!"
The Parks and Wildlife Act (Chapter 20:14) deals with control of wildlife, fish and plants as well as protection of natural landscapes and scenery.
Fishing has rules and regulations, but Mugwadi violated them and went on to parade his poaching adventures amid Covid-19.
"ZimParks should act, but we know they won't because he is Zanu PF. Even police can act for breach of lockdown regulations (unless he had exemption) and fish poaching. If there isn't selective application of the law, then they must act. This is poaching," a conservationist said.
There are so many things to do during these difficult times to avoid unnecessary movements.@jamwanda, look at what I have done today in Nyazvidzi River kunyika yaVaHera.
— Tafadzwa Mugwadi (@TafadzwaMugwadi) January 26, 2021
Let's stay away from crowd pulling places. Ini ndiri wehove nhasi. Ndiri muvhimi mukuru pic.twitter.com/lKxsYF1Wmp
Source - online
