Worm collectors told to register

THE King of Uukwaluudhi, Josia Shikongo Taapopi, has announced that mopane-worm collectors in the Uukwaluudhi district of the Omusati Region must register with his Traditional Authority office at Tsandi.

Not only will they have to register, but they will have to pay for the pleasure. He said people should not start harvesting the worms until he announced the start of the mopane-collecting season.Usually people harvest mopane worms from March to April, but according to the king, the worms in his area are still immature.”We have to control our forest and our traditional fruits,” Taapopi said.Those who register with the Traditional Authority have to pay an unspecified amount of money, Taapopi said.The exact amount would be announced when the worm-collecting season was declared open, he said.Some of the mopane forests where worms are harvested are in the Uukwaluudhi Conservancy, where community members earn an income from the sustainable use of their natural resources.The Namibian has learnt that people have already started collecting mopane worms in other traditional districts, such as Ondonga.Worm sellers at the Oshakati open market say they do not have to pay to collect worms in the Ondonga District.They say the worms are “a gift from God” and they should not be required to pay for them.He said people should not start harvesting the worms until he announced the start of the mopane-collecting season.Usually people harvest mopane worms from March to April, but according to the king, the worms in his area are still immature.”We have to control our forest and our traditional fruits,” Taapopi said.Those who register with the Traditional Authority have to pay an unspecified amount of money, Taapopi said.The exact amount would be announced when the worm-collecting season was declared open, he said.Some of the mopane forests where worms are harvested are in the Uukwaluudhi Conservancy, where community members earn an income from the sustainable use of their natural resources.The Namibian has learnt that people have already started collecting mopane worms in other traditional districts, such as Ondonga.Worm sellers at the Oshakati open market say they do not have to pay to collect worms in the Ondonga District.They say the worms are “a gift from God” and they should not be required to pay for them.