Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana has described as unfortunate the confiscation of dry fish from marketeers in Mansa District.
Mr Kawana points out that the Department of Fisheries could have instead given the marketeers a grace period to sell the merchandise they had before the enforcement of the fish ban.
ZANIS reports that Mr Kawana said this when he featured on Yangeni and KFM radio stations respectively during which he emphasised that the act made just a day after the fish ban was announced was very unfair.
Mr. Kawana observes that fish gets long to dry hence the marketeers would have acquired their fish long before the ban.
“There was need to give chance to the marketeers to sell their old stock before enforcing the ban in markets,” Mr Kawana says.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the department of fisheries should also consider to conduct sensitisations before the ban is announced so that the public can be aware.
He noted that those marketeers whose fish was confiscated will now find it difficult to survive as their livelihood depended on selling fish.
Mr. Kawana said that it is true that fish ban needs to be observed but there is supposed to be room for leniency especially when dealing with those who sell dry fish.
” If it was fresh fish then the case would have been different because we do not expect anyone to be selling fish during this period but for dry fish people can still be given chance to finish their stock,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary added that he will engage his counterpart from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock to see how the issue will be addressed.
” If those officers who grabbed the fish are found wanting then disciplinary measures will be instituted,” Mr Kawana said.
Mr. Kawana has however urged people in the Province to observe the fish ban which runs from December 1 to February 28 annually.
” This fish ban is aimed at giving a chance to the fish to breed, hence people should give the fish the chance to multiply so that the following Year there can be more fish in our water bodies,” he says.
The Permanent Secretary is in Luapula Province for a 2-day working visit during which he visited radios Yangeni and KFM.