Am I an odd person out? I mean why is it that everyone around me in my area seems to be relatively comfortable with the current environmental status quo? This is in regard to the illegal massive harvesting of our natural resources to unsustainable levels. Look at the current overfishing and poor fishing practices taking place in Lake Itezhi tezhi of the Kafue River outside Kafue National Park. Don’t talk of the indiscriminate cutting down of trees on a daily basis to make charcoal. Hei,where is the Zambia Fisheries Department to control this warfare on our environment?
THE fish industry is under threat of extinction on Lake Itezhi tezhi because of lack of patrols by Fisheries Department. I live right on top of Kataba Mountain with my house overlooking Lake Itezhi Tezhi harbor. On a daily basis early in the morning, I see almost the entire residents of Itezhi tezhi town descending on Lake Itezhi Tezhi harbor to buy fish. Absolutely nothing wrong with this fish trade excursion. But the number of fishing canoes and nets on Lake Itezhi Tezhi on a daily basis has simply exceeded the number of those licensed by the department. It has now exceeded scientifically proven sustainable levels.
On a similar note, the rate at which charcoal is openly being traded in Zambia is frightening. Studies have identified charcoal production as one of the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Zambia. Mind you these natural resources are a wasting asset. What about the future generation? What will be left for them to use? The Zambian Government must step in to control the situation.