Surviving in difficult times thanks to small fish
Shortlybefore sunset, countless kapenta fishing boats appear on Lake Kariba. Kapenta are anchovies (small herrings) that are dried in the sun on huge sheets of cloth after being caught. When darkness falls, the fishermen shine powerful spotlights into the water to attract the small fish. After a while, the circular net, which had previously been lowered about 40 meters below the water surface, is lifted with a crane and the kapenta caught in this way are brought into the boat. At daybreak, the boats return to the harbors with their catch.
Fishing stops for a few days around the time of the full moon in order to conserve stocks. The small herring is an important and popular part of the daily diet in Zimbabwe.
Unfortunately, catches have fallen to a seventh of their former level since 1990. Climate change, falling sea water levels and the increasing turbidity of the water, which prevents the light that attracts fish from penetrating the water, are to blame. Added to this is severe overfishing.
Instead of the originally permitted 500 boats, there are currently 1500 on the move, half of which operate from Zimbabwe and the other half from Zambia. The reason for this is the coronavirus pandemic. In contrast to other food industries, the fishing industry has been greatly relieved of lockdowns and fishing licenses have been increased to ensure the supply of food to the population. The falling catch volume is leading to a price increase. This is bad news for the population, which is already suffering from rising inflation.
