The Chambo Restoration Strategic Plan

Abstract

Recognizing the important role that the Chambo plays in the livelihoods and nutritional security of Malawians, the Malawi legislature through the Cabinet Committee on Natural Resources and Environment (CCNRE) demonstrated its commitment to the restoration of the Chambo fishery by endorsing the launch of the “National Save the Chambo Campaign” on 16 January 2003 and the Chambo Restoration Strategic Plan on 24 July 2003. This culminated in a consultative process to consolidate the development of a strategic plan with participation of scientists, academia and policy makers from both within Malawi and abroad. The process materialized in the form of a workshop held on 13-16 May 2003 at the Boadzulu Lakeshore Resort. This paper is a compilation of proceedings workshop and the inform the reader of the scope of knowledge on the Chambo, the socio-economics and livelihoods context within which the people exploiting the resource operates, and past constraints to the management of the Chambo fishery. The proceedings also provide recommendations on how to overcome these problems and a strategic plan for the restoration of the Chambo fishery. It is hoped that the proceedings will emphasize, to researchers in the natural and social sciences and development practitioners, the fact that a multidisciplinary approach is needed that puts the people utilizing the resource at the center of all planned activities if the Chambo fishery is to be successfully restored.