FOUR chiefs in Luapula Province have urged Government to extend the fish ban from three to four months to ensure that breeding of the fish is fully completed.

The traditional leaders whose chiefdoms are along Lake Mweru are Kanyembo, Kambwali, Mununga and Puta.

Nchelenge District Commissioner (DC) Joseph Chisakula said in an interview yesterday that the four chiefs presented a report proposing that the annual fish ban be extended from three to four months.

"This year's fish ban is going on well and because of that, four of our chiefs have commended the Government for the programme.

"However, they have appealed to the Government to consider extending the ban from three months to four months so that the fish could breed and grow properly," Mr Chisakula said.

The fish ban runs from December 1 to the end of February.

Mr Chisakula said so far, fishermen had complied with the fish ban as most of them had since left their fishing camps to their villages and engaged in farming.

The District Commissioner however regretted that some Congolese fishermen had been fishing on Lake Mweru on the Zambian side despite the ban.

Mr Chisakula said he had received information that Congolese fishermen had camped on Lake Mweru Island at Leleke and had been conducting their fishing activities.

The Zambian Government imposes the fish ban to enable fish breed and have the fingerlings develop fully into adulthood.