In the marketplace of Zomba there are shops selling fish and only fish because fish famring has now become their chief occupation and they are making handsome earning through this. Esther Fikira, a fish harvester, said that when they first started fish farming – people thought it was mad – they told it will never work in this place. She said that there is a big haul of tasty “chambo” (a local delicacy) lurking just below the surface murky, almost stagnant water.
Presently there are 700 fish farmers like Esther here in the bushland settlements to the west of Malawi’s former colonial capital, Zomba. She informed that the WorldFish Centre, a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) had are introduced small-scale aquaculture to ensure families in Malawi have enough food and income to buy maize – even in years when droughts affect their crops. In this project the farmers were assisted by digging small, rain-fed ponds of about 10x15m on their land, or anywhere the soil is suitable for retaining water.
There are families who use the ponds to rear common fish species – which in Malawi means chambo (a species of tilapia) and mlamba (catfish). Esther told that she uses manure from her goats and chickens to keep the pond high in nutrients which allow plankton to thrive. The fish eat the plankton, and when they grow to full size, they are harvested, usually every six months.
Joseph Nagoli, of WorldFish, said that it is an integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) system. He added that this isn’t high input fish farming. This is simple and sustainable. As the fish supply essential protein, calcium, and vitamin A, it is essential for children and the elderly, and those with HIV/Aids. According to Esther the nutritional impact of the fish was very obvious – on the children, the elderly, and most especially on those with HIV/Aids.
WorldFish are working to introduce sustainable fishing practices – to ensure the survival of both the fish and the fishermen because Malawi is struggling for food security. Urban fish farming could be the key to their success in the longterm – by easing the burden on Lake Chilwa’s precious natural resources.
