n the front line of the fish for sex trade ‘spiralling out of control’

n the front line of the fish for sex trade ‘spiralling out of control’

By Henry Mhango

Source: telegraph

10/14/2022

Credit: Clifford Munthali

It is another busy morning at Ngala fishing camp, as hundreds of buyers flock to the banks of Lake Malawi for the catch of the day.

But for the weathered fishermen of Karonga, it’s been disappointing. Dwindling stock from overfishing has turned a once-reliable livelihood into a precarious one. As those lucky enough to snare the few fish left take their catches to shore, dozens of others with empty nets abandon their canoes on the water in frustration.

mid mounting shortages, an unusual trading custom has flourished in this part of northern Malawi, close to the Tanzanian border. What began as an occasional bargaining tool has grown into an uncomfortably normalised business transaction between fishermen and their customers – one that brings with it serious health risks.