SWAMPY TALES

    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...

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...

Away from nets, another known and popular mass-fishing method has been in use around Bangweulu swamps for a very long time. Fish weirs; which are basically barricades. Construction of fish weirs, locally termed ‘ Ukucilika amaamba ,” ( ukucilika simply meaning barricading) is another ancient commercial and reliable fishing method used by many fishermen.  Fishers who use this method may not use other fishing gear such as seine or gill nets but rely heavily on their amaamba to catch as much fish as they need for their livelihood. In other words, they specialize in this form of fishing.  Though the method is not unique to Bangweulu, as it is used in many other countries such as India, it's the kind of ensnaring used that is different.   Usually, here, this method is used when water floods during the rainy season and later when it recedes after spawning period. You may find fish weirs in deep waters while others are constructed in shallow waters such as...