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Reader's Letters
Dear Editor
I have lived in Kariba for 20 years and since
leaving in 2000. I have fished there for nearly
50 years, before and after living there.
On recent trips from Mutare (700km or so
one way) I have gone to Antelope Island to
do some leisure fishing, only to find all the
good spots taken by people from Zambia
who come often. They come with up to
three houseboats and up to four to six small
boats at times. The older people sit on the
Bermuda deck and fish into pre-baited spots
for bream. We have counted on one trip 20
people. Myself and three other friends pulled
into one of the spots at 4pm on the way back
from the Gache, only to be confronted by the
Zambians - big men with black beards and
full white robes. No words are exchanged
but our boat was surrounded. They just tie
up next to us, and talk in a dialect that we
can’t understand, and cast into where we are
fishing. Apparently they phone from Zambia,
to local men who come and bait all the spots
before the Zambians arrive. If you go to
one of the spots to do some fishing, you are
approached by these men (in good boats and
motors) and told in no decent way to vacate
these spots as they are reserved for their
clients. I have the phone number and name of
one of these baiters who uses a Falcon with a
new 200 Evinrude.
I believe that the Zambians take away DEEP
FREEZERS FULL of fish. What I would like
to know is how do they get all these fish across
the border, as the National Parks laws only
allow each person to remove five fish a day.
It is not my intention to open a can of worms
for local fishermen, but to find out if baiting
by local men is a legit business, and if so, is
there any way we can get in on the spoils?
Best regards to all.
Ivan Wilson
Good to hear from you, and thanks for your
letter. Antelope island has grown a reputation
as a bit of a war zone since the nillies first
started appearing there over a decade ago.
Way back when, mini disputes - some very
ugly - broke out as people fought over the
prime spots. What you have described in
your letter is not unique to your suspected
Zambians, as a good number of Zimbabweans
have also taken to “owning” spots and
certain trees around the island. This is
ridiculous and I have commented further in
my editorial - Editor
Dear Editor
I have to say that we love and agree whole
heartedly with your KITFT Editorial in the
new issue just received in the post (Vol.24
No.2). I could not agree with you more in
regards to your sentiments about the poaching
effort and I suppose deep down about KITFT
too.
As I stated in my article that you published
a couple of issues ago (Vol. 22 No.5), antiV o l . 24 # 3
poaching is the way to productively and
effectively conserve our fish species on any
waters that suffer so greatly from poaching.
With regards to catch and release at the
KITFT tournament, I have written a letter
to KITFT, probably not in time for thei ?)???????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)??$???????????????????????????9??????)A????9A]4???1??????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)???????????????????Q??????????????)??????????????????????????????????)???????%H???????????e??????????)????????????????????????????????????)%??????????????????????q?????????????????t)???????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)???????)????????????????????%????????????????)?????????????????????????]???????)????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????9=\?)??????????????????????????????????)?????)????!?????-????)Q????????????????????????????-%QP)?????????????9Uh?????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????=??)??????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)???????????????????$????????????????)-%QP?
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