The Seminar on Fish Production in Lowlands Reservoirs, Lesotho, was organized by the Fisheries Section, Department of Livestock Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Marketing, and ALCOM, the Aquaculture for Local Community Development Programme. It was sponsored by ALCOM under FAO project GCP/RAF/277/BEL “Utilization of Small Water Bodies for Aquaculture and Fisheries”. The seminar was held at the Maseru Sun Cabanas, 13–14 June 1994, and was attended by 45 participants, comprising 27 staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Marketing, 2 staff from other Governmental agencies, 13 representatives from non-governmental organizations in Lesotho and 3 staff from ALCOM. The list of participants is given in Appendix 1.
The objective of the seminar was to familiarize Government and non-government development workers with Lesotho's lowlands reservoir fishery resource and potential fish production strategies, suggest solutions to fish production issues, and identify opportunities to implement these strategies.
In her introductory remarks, Mrs S. Mofolo, Chief Fish Production Officer a.i., informed that the Fisheries Section was responsible for the fishery resource and the development of fish production in Lesotho. It started to promote pond fish culture in rural communities in 1968, and turned its attention to lowlands reservoir fisheries in the late 1980's.
In his introductory remarks, Mr B.A. Haight, ALCOM Programme Manager a.i., informed that ALCOM's assistance to the Fisheries Section began in 1988 with the formulation of the pilot project “Utilization of Small Water Bodies”. The pilot project's objective was to increase fish production from existing lowlands reservoirs benefiting the local communities. A socio-economic survey on demand for fresh fish which was undertaken in 1989, found that there was an unmet demand for fresh fish and that people lacked knowledge about the local fishery resource and fishing methods. Test fishing was initiated in 1990–91 to determine the composition and quantity of fish in lowlands reservoirs. These exercises included practical training of key staff of the Fisheries Section in test fishing and data analysis. A survey of fisherfolk around Sebaboleng dam in Maseru Town was carried out in 1991–1992 to determine when and how people actually fish, and the problems they face in catching fish.
In mid-1992, ALCOM and the Fisheries Section revised the sub-project and assigned an ALCOM staff member to assist with implementation. The outputs and activities achieved since 1992 have been:
An inventory of reservoirs in seven lowlands districts, classification by size (surface area), and socio-economic and fishing activity profiles of 16 selected reservoirs across all size classes.
A locally adapted fish stock assessment method which provides information on species composition and relative densities for each size class of lowlands reservoir, and staff of the Fisheries Section trained to use the method.
Tests of improved local fishing gears (hook and line, traps, nets).
Strategies for fish production in lowlands reservoirs based on size classification, socio-economic profile and gear testing.
The current phase of the pilot project culminated in this seminar, intended as a forum to discuss these fish production strategies.
These strategies aimed at sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources, taking into account the biological and physical aspects of the resource and the economic, social and technical (e.g. gear) aspects of the fishing community. To achieve these aims, it was necessary to:
describe the reservoir environment in terms of morphometrics, limnology, fish species composition and density, community organization, fish preference/consumption, knowledge about fishing methods and who controls the reservoir and the fish;
develop fish production strategies comprising technically feasible, socially acceptable, and economically viable fisheries exploitation and management methods, and their expected outputs; and,
implement strategies through rural development programmes, in consultation with local communities, with respect to need, target group, objective and expected benefit.
The seminar consisted of short presentations on the current status of lowlands reservoirs and fishing activities in Lesotho, and possible methods for fish production, followed by working group discussions and presentations on key issues. The seminar programme is given in Appendix 2, and the list of documents is given in Appendix 3.
Mr P. Nthathakane, Water Officer, Department of Water Affairs, explained the provisions of the Water Resources Act 1978. The Act, which became operational in 1981, provides “...for the use and control, the protection and conservation of water resources and for connected purposes”. The Act is attached as Appendix 4. The process of obtaining a permit for use of water other than for domestic uses was described. This is detailed in sub-section (4) of the Act. The Department of Water Affairs was also responsible for monitoring pollution in water sources and taking action against polluters.
The discussion focused on how the provisions of the Water Act related to the development of fisheries and on the legality of selling water from boreholes. A water permit was required if a dam was constructed. However, no permit for fishing was required from the Department as fishermen were not using the water. The sale of borehole water was allowed provided the owner had a permit for his/her borehole. Communities involved in the construction of a dam should apply for a permit. Finally, there were problems in the enforcement of the provisions of the Act and the Department preferred to use persuasion rather than legal action. Several participants felt that the Act should be translated into Sesotho. It was noted that the Department sent circulars to Chiefs in the expectation that they would hold pitsos to explain the provisions of the Act. However these meetings were often not called.
Mrs S. Mofolo presented the current status of fisheries legislation in Lesotho. Fisheries were covered by the 1951 Basutoland Fresh Water Fish Proclamation and subsequent regulations. The Proclamation is attached as Appendix 5. Her personal observation was that the Proclamation reflected a period when there were few water bodies and consequently scarce fisheries resources in the country.
The Proclamation mandates fisheries or police officers to enforce regulations made by the “High Commissioner”. Regulations can be made on the issue of permits, size of fish captured, the cultivation and protection of fish and prohibition and regulation of fish capture. The use of nets and electroshock was prohibited. In order to protect breeding seasons, regulations have subsequently been made establishing a closed season for the fishery in the highlands (May – June) and in the lowlands (August – December). In addition, the Maluti minnow (Pseudobarbus quathlambae) was protected against exploitation except capture for scientific purposes. Enforcement of these regulations was difficult.
As the Proclamation is no longer considered appropriate to the development of fisheries in Lesotho, a request to FAO to draft a new Fisheries Act has been approved. The new legislation should be completed by the end of 1994.
The discussion focused on the studies carried out on the Maluti minnow by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA)in areas which will be inundated by the scheme. Fisheries Section had not been officially informed about the studies and had not issued any permits. It was possible that the LHDA had requested permission from the Protection and Preservation Commission (PPC) as they were responsible for protecting Lesotho's flora, fauna and cultural heritage. The PPC was housed in the Ministry of Tourism but was the responsibility of the Minister of Education.
The Hon. Mr R M Masemene, Senator for Maseru gave the presentation. He observed that legislation should reflect the social, cultural and economic situation of the country and should emanate at the grass roots. The 1979 Land Act aimed at addressing development issues and promoting modern sector farming in the country. The Act entered into force in June 1980. Under the Act, reference was made to fisheries as part of agriculture. The Act provided for the making of regulations by the Ministry of Home Affairs, advised by the Ministry of Agriculture. The relevant regulations for fisheries resources were found in the 1992 Agricultural Lease Regulations. Under these Regulations, land could be leased for 90 years, should not exceed 20 hectares (under most circumstances), was subject to lawful access by Agricultural Officers and ground rent has to be paid after the first five years. The land was not to lie fallow for more than three consecutive years and was to be used for viable agricultural production taking into account environmental sustainability. Application for a Certificate of Allocation for Land Use Rights was completed by the applicant, the Chief and the District Agricultural Officer (DAO). Following the review of the application by the DAO, certain conditions could be imposed on the lessee. If the application was accepted, the Commissioner of Lands granted the lease.
Neither the Land Act, nor the Agricultural Lease Regulations, contained any specific details on fisheries. Legally, a lease could be issued for fisheries resources, but the issue was one of practice and there was a need to examine other related legislation before such leases could be granted. The 1994 Law Reform Commission Act had set up a Judicial Review Commission to review all legislation and contained provisions concerning consultation with all relevant persons before any new legislation could be enacted.
Finally, with regard to enforcement, the speaker reminded the participants that enforcement mechanisms were only successful if people felt that they benefited by adhering to the law.
The discussion focused on whether the Agricultural Lease Regulations apply to the construction of fish ponds and whether a person could lease an existing reservoir to utilise the fisheries resources. Under the Regulations, an individual or group could lease an area of land and construct a dam, but they could not lease water bodies such as rivers where they did not have ownership rights. By definition, reservoirs belong to the community surrounding them. A lease would give exclusive use to the lessee, and therefore it was possible to lease a dam subject to fulfilling certain conditions.
Mr C. Tilquin, ALCOM Aquaculturist (APO), described the methods used to carry out the inventory of reservoirs in the lowlands. A total of 590 reservoirs had been identified, based on information gained from topographical maps, field surveys and local knowledge. Of these, there were 369 reservoirs known to be functional with an approximate surface area of 430 ha. The classification used was based on size and degree of siltation. There were 7 reservoirs over 20 ha, 13 between 3 and 20 ha, 63 between 1 and 3 ha and the remainder (286) under 1 ha. Both endemic and exotic species were found in the reservoirs. Based on data from South Africa, potential fish yield from Lesotho lowlands reservoirs was estimated to be between 10 and 70 kg/ha/year. A more detailed description of the of the results of the inventory is contained in Appendix 6.
Lunch Featuring Freshwater Fish of Lesotho
The participants sampled several dishes prepared using local fish species. They noted the need to improve and disseminate fish preparation recipes to make fish dishes more palatable, especially with respect to the small bones found in the cyprinids.
Mr Tilquin presented possible strategies for producing fish from lowlands reservoirs, based on the information described in his earlier presentation.
Assuming that a subsistence-oriented handline fishery would always exist around lowlands reservoirs, seven possible strategies to increase fish production were described and defined:
For each strategy, a description of participants, beneficiaries, pre-conditions, risks and priorities for reservoir selection was presented. In addition, suggestions were made as to which lowlands reservoir such a strategy might be suitable. A more detailed description of the strategies is contained in Appendix 6.
During the discussion, participants debated which strategies would be most suitable for poor people as it was felt by some that the gill net fishery would only benefit resource-richer entrepreneurs. The commercial gill-net fishery was only possible for reservoirs larger than 20 ha. Strategies for poorer people could be extensive and semi-intensive fish culture in the smaller reservoirs (i.e. less than 3 ha).
Mrs S. Mofolo gave a brief description of current fishing practices in Lesotho. Fishing was usually carried out by boys, particularly herdboys. Some men also caught fish when they have some free time. In addition, some men fish at weekends as a pastime. These fishermen mainly targeted largemouth bass (Micropterus salmonoides) in the lowlands and brown and rainbow trout in the highlands.
The most common method of catching fish was using a single line with one hook attached. Multiple hooks on a single line were occasionally used. Herdboys also used traps made form old sacks, sharpened wire (tsenene) and sometimes tranquillised the fish using indigenous plants such as khapumpu (Euconis bicolor). Leisure fishermen used a rod, reel and line. Although the use of nets was prohibited under the Basutoland Fresh Water Fish Proclamation, a few people used them, particularly the Chinese community.
Mr L. Lechela, Senior Fisheries Assistant, Fisheries Section, briefly described trials carried out with ALCOM on improved fishing gear. Trials with a longline method using 28 metres of nylon line with baited hooks placed 2 metres apart were carried out. Both floating and bottom longlines were used. The results were not good as catch was average to poor compared to the existing gear used by fishermen. A “conventional” fish trap designed in Zimbabwe was also tested. It was made of a wire frame covered with netting. Although the catch was considered good, the average size of the fish was very small (50 – 100 gms.).
Ms S. Sen, ALCOM Socio-economist, concentrated her presentation on the demand for fresh fish. She emphasised the importance of determining the demand for fresh fish in areas where fish production strategies might be promoted. Her presentation drew upon the findings of a socio-economic survey of 92 rural households carried out by ALCOM in 1989 (ALCOM Field Document No. 11). The survey focused on demand for fish in two areas of the lowlands. This was the first attempt to collect information on the extent of demand for fresh fish in the lowlands. According to the survey, the main supply of fresh fish was local: household members who catch fish, friends and neighbours or the village market. Whilst most households ate fresh fish, the main reasons they did not eat more was due to non-availability of fish, lack of knowledge on how to catch fish and a feeling that access to the reservoir was not easy. This latter reason applied mainly to female-headed households. People often did not know how to prepare and cook fish which meant that extension was needed on these aspects of fish production. Tinned fish was eaten fairly frequently by households because it was easy to prepare and easy to store. The positive aspect of this was that people were familiar with eating fish, although tinned fish would also compete with fresh fish. The price of fresh fish was also an important factor to take into consideration when developing fish production strategies which were economically viable.
On the question of taboos against eating fish, very few respondents in the survey thought that they existed. Those who did, mentioned that pregnant women should not eat fish or ducks because the child would take on the physical characteristics of the fish. Many of the participants were surprised as they had never heard of such taboos. The importance of extension on preparation and cooking of fish was also emphasised by several participants, and there were suggestions that linkages between the Fisheries Section and the Division of Nutrition should be fostered.
Three working groups were formed to address key issues arising from the presentations and to formulate recommendations for further action. Each working group addressed a set of questions (see Appendix 7) and presented a brief report on its findings and recommendations for plenary discussion.
Mr M. Mosenye, Department of National Parks and Chair of the Working Group presented the conclusions of the discussions.
The issues which needed attention relating to water law and water use rights, fisheries regulation and legislation and land use were identified as follows:
lack of public awareness on the existing legislation and therefore a need to create such awareness (politicians could also actively participate in these campaigns);
as many people could not understand and/or read English fully, existing legislation could not be understood by many people, especially in rural areas. There was a need to translate all legislation into Sesotho;
there was a lack of coordination between government departments dealing with water affairs, fisheries and land use planning;
enforcement was not being carried out;
there was a need for a bottom-up approach to the development of legislation.
The role of the Fisheries Section was also discussed by the group. They felt there was a need for the Section to have a more clearly defined role and to concentrate efforts on the provision of advice to individuals/communities/government departments/NGOs rather than producing fish. This would prevent government competing with the private sector.
With regard to the useful links which the Fisheries Section should pursue to resolve these issues, the group recommended the following linkages:
Ministry of Agriculture:
Department of Water Affairs on water use and rights;
Division of Land-Use Planning on siting of ponds and reservoirs;
Agricultural Information Services to carry out awareness campaigns on the exploitation of fisheries resources and relevant legislation;
Nutrition Division to carry out awareness campaigns on ways to prepare and eat fish;
Research Division to carry out research on new species appropriate for culture and stocking;
Production through Conservation (PTC) to identify potential fish farmers and fishermen. The PTC, because it operated in communities could also assist in the development of a bottom-up approach to the formulation of legislation.
Other Government Ministries and Departments
Department of Water Affairs, Ministry of Water, Energy and Mining on water use and water rights;
Department of Lands, Surveys and Physical Planning, Ministry of Home Affairs on agricultural leases and fisheries resources;
Protection and Preservation Commission (PPC) on conservation issues and the introduction of exotic fish species or use of endemic fish species;
Environmental Secretariat, Office of the Prime Minister on environmental issues and impact assessments.
Non-Governmental Organisations
The group felt that working with NGOs was a more effective way to increase fish production as there was less bureaucracy and international donors were increasingly in favour of NGOs to implement activities. It was therefore suggested that a link with the Lesotho Council of NGO's (LCN) and Fisheries Section was important. The aim of such a linkage would be to:
Since the current fisheries legislation was going to be revised this year, there was no need for the Group to examine the issues pertaining to it. However, the legal adviser appointed to carry out this task should consult with as many of the government departments, development agencies and communities involved in fisheries or fisheries-related activities.
During the discussion, clarification was sought on the role of the Fisheries Section particularly with regard to the production of fingerlings. The Fisheries Section should, in the short term, produce fingerlings but this should be phased out and taken over by the private sector in the longer term. The Section should not be involved in the production of fish and ducks for sale.
A suggestion was also made that links should be fostered with government departments in South Africa who might have relevant experience and knowledge. The Chair pointed out that these links already existed between Local Government Departments in South Africa and District Offices in Lesotho through the South Africa/Lesotho Liaison Committees.
Dr. L. Khomari of the Department of Livestock Services presented the conclusions of the discussions of this working group.
Key technical, social and economic issues for selecting fish production strategies were identified by reservoir size class.
Large Reservoirs (greater than 20 ha)
The technical aspects of strategies for fish production in large-sized reserviors were:
development of capture fisheries, comprising limited gillnet fisheries and artisanal fisheries;
management of fisheries habitat, including proper catchment management and protection of breeding areas.
The social issues related to ownership: whether by institutions, the state, cooperatives or communities.
The economic issues were: licencing and fees; the market for fish; and, storage of fish products for consumption or sale.
Medium Reservoirs (from 3 to 20 hectares)
The technical aspects of strategies for fish production in medium-sized reservoirs were:
partial harvesting with gillnets and seine nets;
artisanal fishing (traps, etc.)
monitoring of fish stocks and fish stocking when necessary.
The social issues related to ownership: whether by communities, institutions or individuals.
The economic issues were: sale of fish; and, licencing and fees.
Small Reservoirs (less than 3 hectares)
The technical aspects of strategies for fish production in small-sized reservoirs were: annual fish stocking; fertilizing (e.g. with organic manures); feeding; and, integration with livestock such as ducks.
The social issues related to ownership: whether by communities, individuals or institutions.
The economic issues were: markets for fish and ducks; and, production credit.
Two issues raised in discussions required further attention:
for each type of ownership, to what extent was the land, water and fish owned or controlled by the owner and/or user;
in any of the size classes, would use of a reservoir for fish production inhibit any other productive use of the reservoir, e.g. for cattle watering or domestic water consumption.
Dr. J. Yahya Jumbe of the Thaba-Khupa Ecumenical Centre presented the conclusions of the discussions of this working group.
In answer to the question on the need for fish production in Lesotho, needs were identified at two levels.
At the household level, by:
contribution to improved nutrition through increased protein in the diet and improved palatability and variability of meals;
income generation through sale of fish by fish catchers;
better use of local resources, e.g. by the integration of fish production with ducks or gardening.
At the national level, by:
increased local production of fish, which could lead to import substitution if demand did not increase;
employment in the agro-industrial sector for fish catching and processing enterprises, although this was unlikely to occur with the limited fisheries resources in the lowlands;
contribution to foreign exchange earnings through tourism related to fishing and the export of fishery products. These were specialized activities which would only occur on a limited scale in the lowlands, if at all; they were more likely to be the outcome of future highlands fishery development;
better utilization of Lesotho's limited natural resources.
Several objectives and target groups were identified for reservoir fish production efforts:
the promotion of fish consumption and generation of income were broad objectives aimed at all Basotho, whether they were producers or consumers of fish;
the local production, preparation (cooking methods) and marketing of fish were objectives aimed at rural Basotho, as individuals or in groups.
For fish production to be implemented by rural people, a collaborative effort was needed among Government agencies and NGO's to extend fish production strategies to potential producers. Fisheries Section staff should provide specialist advice to multi-disciplinary field extension workers, both governmental and non-governmental, who work directly with farmers. This approach would make the best use of limited specialist resources. To accomplish this:
the Lesotho Agricultural College and/or NGO's should train Fisheries Section staff as trainers;
the Fisheries Section should provide regular training and technical advice to field extension workers in lowlands areas where reservoirs occur; in addition, fish production methods should be incorporated into the curriculum of the Lesotho Agricultural College so that all new extension staff, and staff receiving refresher training, learnt about fish production;
field extension workers from the Department of Field Services and NGO's, as well as specialized extension workers in nutrition and health, should include messages on fish production and preparation in their work with rural people who had access to reservoirs or fish from reservoirs.
Several issues needed attention if this approach was to succeed:
effective collaboration among departments and sections of the Ministry of Agriculture;
the concern of some NGO's that fish production was a specialized activity for farmers, when in fact it should be promoted as an activity integrated with other agricultural activities when exploiting small and medium-sized reservoirs;
the expected benefit of fish production strategies should be quantified, to provide the target group with realistic expectations and to facilitate evaluation of development efforts.
Mr. B.A. Haight briefly summarized the key issues arising from the plenary discussions.
Policy and legal issues concerning ownership, user rights and control of the reservoir resource (land, water, fish) need careful review and wider dissemination, facilitated by collaboration between all parties with a stake in the resource (communities, local authorities, central Government agencies).
Alternative and conflicting uses of reservoir resources and the expected costs and benefits need to be assessed from the economic and social perspective.
The proposed production strategies, classified by reservoir size and the technical, economic and social aspects, are appropriate for rural communities. Attention should be paid to seed production and the use of fish products (preparation of fish for consumption, and marketing).
Once issues relating to ownership, user rights and control were resolved, the fish production strategies should be implemented as part of the multi-disciplinary rural development process. For this to be effective, the expected benefits needed to be clarified, and technically and administratively feasible collaborative mechanisms needed to be established for the fish production specialists to contribute to multi-disciplinary rural extension.
On behalf of ALCOM, Mr. Haight thanked the participants, and those who acted as Chairs for the plenary and working group sessions, for their contributions to the seminar. The high level of participation by governmental and non-governmental development workers was a good sign of the interest to develop the fishery resources of Lesotho's lowlands reservoirs. This seminar had succeeded in raising the awareness of all participants about the potential and methods for fish production; he looked forward to seeing training and extension activities leading to increased fish production.
Mrs. S. Mofolo, on behalf of the Fisheries Section, thanked the participants for their contributions which had led to the achievement of the seminar's objectives. She had been greatly encouraged by the high level of interest in fish production among here colleagues in the Ministry and NGO's, and looked forward to a follow-up on the recommendations.
Dr. O.L. Letuka, Chief Veterinary Officer, on behalf of the Director of Livestock Services, thanked FAO for sponsoring the seminar through ALCOM. The deliberations and recommendations had set a clear path for the Fisheries Section to develop the fishery resources of lowlands reservoirs. The Department was now much more aware of the level of inputs which would be needed to accomplish this task, and would take steps to provide these resources. For example, the Department would continue to produce fish and duck seed for farmers. He looked forward to the upcoming review of fisheries legislation, especially with respect to user rights, leading to an improved climate for reservoir fish production.
With these words, Dr. Letuka declared the seminar officially closed.
