MICHAEL QUINN
An influx of Zambian and Congolese poachers to Botswana’s Lake Ngami has resulted in the rapid decline of fish stocks, according to Oxpeckers Centre for Investigative Environmental Journalism. Local farmers have appealed to the Ministry of Tourism to suspend fishing due to the lack of regulatory controls, as tens of thousands of fish are being illegally exported, squatter camps are forming and the area is being polluted. One possible solution might be to create fishing concessions around Lake Ngami and the Okavango, but this suggestion has caused much opposition from local residents who believe the privatisation of fishing grounds will only benefit a few.