Major milestone in Malawi sustainable fisheries management

by Andre Boraks, Director of Programs and Data
September, 2024

Shoreline districts of Lake Malawi made key advances in sustainable fisheries management and conservation with the signing of agreements between Malawi’s Director of Fisheries and community-based Sub-Fisheries Associations in May.

ICFC has been supporting sustainable fisheries reform in Lake Malawi since 2019 through the Fish for Tomorrow program, an initiative run by our field partner Ripple Africa. The program spans 736 kilometers of the lakeshore (about half the distance from Florida to New York City) and has helped establish and train 474 Beach Village Committees across five districts.  This is how communities are taking charge of fisheries management.

Fishing practices in Lake Malawi have been unsustainable, robbing future generations of access to an important protein source while depleting species richness in one of the world’s most biodiverse lakes.

In 2023, the shoreline districts of Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Salima, and Dedza developed bylaws that empowered local fishing communities with enhanced management authority. For enactment, the fishery bylaws require a management plan approved by the central government.

This year (2024), signing ceremonies were held in each district.  In attendance were officers from the Fisheries Department, Traditional Authorities, chairpersons from Sub-Fisheries Associations, District Commissioners and selected members of the District Executive Committees.

The agreements pave the way for effective community management—with key ongoing assistance and involvement from Ripple Africa—to reverse highly unsustainable fisheries and preserve the lake's unique biodiversity. 

ICFC is proud of its part in enabling these transformative changes.

Would you like to support one of the most biodiverse lakes in the world?

Donate for this project. Your support reduces unsustainable fishing practices, which will allow for fish stocks to recover and biodiversity to be preserved for future generations.