SWAMPY TALES

In Ci- Unga language , Ukulalikisha simply means to let something stay overnight. If a person is staying in a place for a night, we say ukulaala or ukulinda, the same word used for waiting. From ukulaala comes ukulalikisha, which can also literally mean to delay. As you read this post today (23 rd December 2019, the fish ban is in full force (from December- March). Some researchers think this is unnecessary given the sources, breeding and life cycle of fish in the swamps. However, laws must be obeyed for, in most cases, they are made with good intentions that tend to benefit citizens. At the end of the ban, especially from April to August, most fishermen will be using Amalalikisha as their preferred technique of fishing. Amalalikisha is just another commercial stationary gillnet fishing system we employ to catch different kinds of fish, mostly the cichlid species, nswikashi ; by letting nets in water for a night. (Catfish is also caught this way). The type and size o...

Of the commercial fishing methods, ukusebesha is one of the most prominent. Ukusebesha simply means setting your nets and wait by. You normally wait near the nets such that after many fish have gilled, you remove it and set your nets again. The process can be repeated as many times as possible, depending on the type of fish and time of the day. The most talked about type of ukusebesha method by most Researchers is that done in the evening and early in the morning concerning nocturnal Mormyridae kind of fish such as Marcusenius macrolepitodus ( Mintensa ) and Petrocephalus simus (C ise ). What they call Ukusakila lupata (Ichikawa 1985 and Ichiro 1987) where you find a school of impata, set your net and drive them to it during the day is also termed as ukusebesha impata in Lunga. To catch mintesa by this method, we first of all identify their hide-out which is almost always underneath a floating island (lufunsu) otherwise known as mukoma.   They will take cover in...

    Almost every Unga man you meet in and around the Bangweulu swamps, or indeed anywhere in the world, is a typical fisherman. Our main economic activity is fishing, and so, we are into it as soon as we start crawling. It is no wonder we are sometimes mockingly referred to as ba Tubulu , meaning one who spends most of his time in water and, therefore, even relieves himself therein. It is estimated that twenty-three per cent of the fish consumed in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia is procured from Lunga. This goes to show that we possess unmatched expertise in fishing, which I discuss in a series of posts starting with this one. Research shows that we have over 80 fish species, which calls for various ways of catching it. As in any other trade, you need to know what you want to achieve in order to employ a particular system to achieve your goal. As fishermen, we also employ several fishing methods and tools to get the type of fish we desire. We, therefore, adopt s...

Wondering how you should behave when you are hosted by a Unga family? Let’s take a dive into Unga tribe’s table etiquette. It’s another delicious slice from our lifestyle. First time visitor to the family or just arrived?   If so, you are likely going to be served alone or as a group of guests. In that case, you can mind your own business because your hosts will be on their own, too, until you have interacted for a day or two.   First and foremost, you will notice that our normal day starts with Nshima, the same thing known by different names in Africa; Ugali in Kenya, Pap in   South Africa, Papa in Botswana, Posho in Uganda, Sadza if you are from Zimbabwe but we   also call it Ubwali in Lunga; (a strong meal porridge made from either maize, millet or cassava mealie powder) served   with some accompaniment we term relish, for breakfast or brunch, followed by yet another Nshima with something for lunch, and later in the evening you are likely to have ...