Water resources policy and administrative management

The Boiteko Fishermen Syndicate comprises of fishermen who are affiliates of Okavango Fishermen Association. The fishermen run an enterprise from Samochina and subsist from the proceeds of the fishing expeditions. Through the consultations that have been done through the Okavango Delta Management Plan with regard to fish resources, it has been realised that there is limited baseline data on fish stocks and abundance within the study area, which is compounded by lack of capacity in terms of personnel and the vastness of the delta, leading to limited coverage. The fishers are widespread and could therefore help to collect some of the data that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Fisheries Division requires to amke some management decisions. Secondly, it has been observed that there is steady but sharp increase in incidents of conflicts between local fishers and tour operators, which if not properly resolved has the potential to destroy the fish resource upon which all the stakeholders depend. One amongst the many strategies being considered is zoning, with each sector being allocated a specific zone for their activities. In addition, the consultation process revealed that the fishers are worried about the implications of the fishing regulations that will soon be introduced to the fishing industry in Botswana. The project aims at raising awareness and appreciation of the fish resource through dialogue with the Boiteko Syndicate members and stakeholders on the current status of the fish resource through a workshop. The workshop will culminate in the formation of a legal recognised entity that will implement a full project. In addition, the workshop will accord the Fishers a chance to feed on the proposal and fine tune their data collection skills.

Botswana