By CHATULA KAMPO-
OVER 90 fishermen have been convicted countrywide for illegal fishing during the 2013/2014 fishing ban.
Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Laxon Kazabu said the 96 were convicted during the ban which started on December 30, 2013 to March 1, this year.
Mr Kazabu said  during an interview that 242 fishermen, mainly from Luapula Province, were arrested during the period for violating the fishing ban.
He said from the 96 convictions, a total of K7, 200 was collected by Government in fines.
During the same period, 30 924 Kilogrammes of  fish  was confiscated together with 54 boats, 545 fishing nets and six motor vehicles were impounded but have since been returned to the  owners.
“There is need to sensitise these fishermen that the fishing ban is for their own good. We don’t want to see our lakes and rivers being over fished during the breeding season,” Mr Kazabu said.
Mr Kazabu also announced that Government had collected  K15, 374 from the  movement of  fish  from  various  rivers  to points of sale.
He said the collection of money was a normal activity which applied to fishermen with legal fishing documents.
The Deputy Minister also warned fishermen against using explosives and mosquito nets to catch fish as this would result in a fish deficit in the country.
Mr Kazabu said the use of explosives and other bad fishing methods was dangerous as it posed a threat to water sources and disturbed breeding of fish.
He said if fishermen continued using explosives for fishing, the country might not have fish in the future.
He said his ministry through the Fisheries Department would work with the police and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to curb the usage of explosives and other bad fishing methods, especially on the Kafue River in Mpongwe where the vice is rampant.
Mr Kazabu called on  farmers in water -logged  areas  to venture into fish  farming because Government had  established  centres where they could acquire fingerings for free.
He said Government had a programme in place to empower farmers and encourage them to venture into the fishing industry.