The Malawi National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy

Malawi’s development policy expresses the need for reduction of poverty, ignorance and disease by the achievement of rapid and sustained economic growth, an improvement in income distribution and a reduction in the instability of welfare for both the individual and the nation. The policy recognises that if the welfare of Malawi is to be further increased economic growth will have to exceed population growth. The performance of agriculture will be critical, and other natural resources, will where viable, need to be exploited.

The fisheries sector has a key role to play in poverty reduction through the provision of rural employment and, more importantly, through its contribution to household food security. Twenty percent of Malawi’s area is covered by water with Lake Malawi being the largest and most significant water body in terms of fish production. The others (Lake Chilwa, Lake Malombe, Lake Chiuta and the Lower Shire Valley) contribute varying amounts to the total production but are all of high local importance. Per capita consumption of fish is however, declining as the human population in Malawi grows at a rate of 2.0% per annum and the potential for increased fish production from the natural waters of Malawi is limited.