Choves Loh
22 May 2008
Despite its landlocked position, the North West province is known to carryout intensive Inland fishing with Ngoketungia Division taking the lead. Fishing in this area takes place around the Bambalang neighbourhood where hundreds of Fishermen turn full circle in the waters of the Bamendjin dam.
The Bamendjin dam was built in the 70s to increase water supply to generate electricity at Songlulu. Floods from the dam now cover an extensive part of the West province and the Ndop plain which represent the largest body of water with fish farming potentials in the North West.
On- the- spot in Bambalang the neighbourhood of the Dam's water is flooded by local Fishermen and others from as far as the Far North. Fishermen and women organise themselves into groups to Coordinate and ensure larger catches. Records from the Provincial delegation of Livestock and Fisheries indicate that fishing in Bambalang contributes enormously to the over 15.000 tonnes of fish produced annually in the North West. The weekly Bambalang market is a day when "Buyam Selams" from as far as the West province travel to the village in search of fish. Among the lot fetched from the waters of the Bamendjin dam include, Tilapia, Clarias and Carp. Oliver Ghogomu and Tayku Raymond, respectively from Batono and Mbatisih Quarters acknowledge that proceeds from fish farming have contributed largely to the education of members of their family.
It is the heavy fish farming activity in Bambalang that influenced the establishment of a Fish Control Centre in the village years ago. Ritre Namboubi, the boss of the centre ensures that farmers have Permits and Fishing nets of appropriate sizes to avoid the catching of Fingerlings which often grow and reproduce more fish to ensure sustainability. In Bambalang, only Table fish is allowed to be caught Elsewhere in the province, potentials offered by lakes are not fully exploited because of myths and cultures that surround such lakes. The Provincial Delegate of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr.Agharih Walter says Lake Oku, Nyos, Awing , Wum etc are wonderful opportunities to farm and increase fish production in the North West but tradition make most of them Shrines. The short story is that the province is a role model in the Fish Pond culture which assembles about 400 farmers around the same number of Fish Ponds. The ugly side however is that all the fish produced in the province does not meet demand because fish farming competes with Poultry, meat and other animal products which are in greater supply.
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