Concerns About The Zambezi

WE have been coming to Namibia for years, have always enjoyed your newspaper, and while sitting on the banks of the Zambezi River we read that it is your 20th Anniversary, well done.

The reason that I am writing to you is that we cannot believe what has happened and is still happening on the Zambezi River. My husband and I have been great fishermen for many years, and come over to the Caprivi each year.Just to give you a quick info, and would like you to please investigate why nobody is doing anything and why the authorities ignore these people here.The Lodge owners have been trying for years and years and nobody listens.* Drag netting on the river.* Netting across the river.* Shooting of the hippos * Shooting crocs.* Taking small size fish out of the river.Over the years one has seen a vast drop in fishing, but for the last couple of years, it has got worse and worse, to the stage now that these lodges here will be lucky if ANY of their guests that were here for fishing this year ever come back.For example we use to catch maybe up to 50 fish a day.This year we were lucky if we got 3 fish a day, and all the fish, like most sport fisherman do, are caught and released.We all feel so sorry for these guys as they have done so much, not only for the local people but for tourism in Namibia as well.One owner’s wife has left for South Africa to attend the Getaway show in Johannesburg, and it’s a lot of money to spend in the hope that next year they will get some guests.It’s a heartrending story, and as the lodge owner says, the people just do not understand.The shooting of the hippos on 23 April in front of tourists and reported to the Ministry, and 6 months later still no reply and since then they tell me they have killed two more.We cannot believe that your authorities just ignore these people’s cry for help.We all love this part of Namibia with its bird life, loads of elephants around the area, and at present have never seen so many elephants, and this is why some of the guests that were here with us decided its about time that the local newspapers should now bring all these matters out in the open.We were here for a week and then went off to Vic Falls and have just come back to hear that NOTHING again has been done; we witnessed these people drag netting again a couple of nights ago.These lodges practice Catch and Release, but there are NO fish to catch, let alone release.We are off to other parts of Namibia tomorrow, as we will be visiting areas that have not many modern coms.We will however keep in touch with the lodge and hopefully we will be hearing what great progress has been made before we leave Namibia.Hopefully YOU have been up to Katima and visited these lodges and got the full story.When we mentioned that the newspapers should be told, they all agreed but said that if just one lodge complained, fingers will be pointed at that lodge, so what we suggest is that a meeting is called with the lodge owners and also the local people, as most are also not happy.Without proper information it will be difficult for you to understand what we mean.90% of these problems stem from the Zambians, with Namibia buying the fish from them and taking it to the local market in Katima.NOW that’s an eye opener for you.On behalf of many of us that visit Namibia and also this wonderful part of Namibia, we hope that you will be able to bring all of this out in the open.Please try and send somebody that has a feeling for nature.If there are no fish, then there will soon be no birds.It all goes hand in hand.We have decided to go into the Tourism Industry and we are busy looking around Namibia, with the idea of bringing tourists out here; we know that our love for the Caprivi will be No 1, as well as Victoria Falls and Chobe, but we also want to show the tourists other remote parts of Namibia.UK Tourists Via e-mail Note: We will look into these issues as soon as we are able – EdMy husband and I have been great fishermen for many years, and come over to the Caprivi each year.Just to give you a quick info, and would like you to please investigate why nobody is doing anything and why the authorities ignore these people here.The Lodge owners have been trying for years and years and nobody listens.* Drag netting on the river.* Netting across the river.* Shooting of the hippos * Shooting crocs.* Taking small size fish out of the river.Over the years one has seen a vast drop in fishing, but for the last couple of years, it has got worse and worse, to the stage now that these lodges here will be lucky if ANY of their guests that were here for fishing this year ever come back.For example we use to catch maybe up to 50 fish a day.This year we were lucky if we got 3 fish a day, and all the fish, like most sport fisherman do, are caught and released.We all feel so sorry for these guys as they have done so much, not only for the local people but for tourism in Namibia as well.One owner’s wife has left for South Africa to attend the Getaway show in Johannesburg, and it’s a lot of money to spend in the hope that next year they will get some guests.It’s a heartrending story, and as the lodge owner says, the people just do not understand.The shooting of the hippos on 23 April in front of tourists and reported to the Ministry, and 6 months later still no reply and since then they tell me they have killed two more.We cannot believe that your authorities just ignore these people’s cry for help.We all love this part of Namibia with its bird life, loads of elephants around the area, and at present have never seen so many elephants, and this is why some of the guests that were here with us decided its about time that the local newspapers should now bring all these matters out in the open.We were here for a week and then went off to Vic Falls and have just come back to hear that NOTHING again has been done; we witnessed these people drag netting again a couple of nights ago.These lodges practice Catch and Release, but there are NO fish to catch, let alone release.We are off to other parts of Namibia tomorrow, as we will be visiting areas that have not many modern coms.We will however keep in touch with the lodge and hopefully we will be hearing what great progress has been made before we leave Namibia.Hopefully YOU have been up to Katima and visited these lodges and got the full story.When we mentioned that the newspapers should be told, they all agreed but said that if just one lodge complained, fingers will be pointed at that lodge, so what we suggest is that a meeting is called with the lodge owners and also the local people, as most are also not happy.Without proper information it will be difficult for you to understand what we mean. 90% of these problems stem from the Zambians, with Namibia buying the fish from them and taking it to the local market in Katima.NOW that’s an eye opener for you.On behalf of many of us that visit Namibia and also this wonderful part of Namibia, we hope that you will be able to bring all of this out in the open.Please try and send somebody that has a feeling for nature.If there are no fish, then there will soon be no birds.It all goes hand in hand.We have decided to go into the Tourism Industry and we are busy looking around Namibia, with the idea of bringing tourists out here; we know that our love for the Caprivi will be No 1, as well as Victoria Falls and Chobe, but we also want to show the tourists other remote parts of Namibia. UK Tourists Via e-mail Note: We will look into these issues as soon as we are able – Ed