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Malawi determined to end the use of monofilament nets – nationally and regionally
On 27-28 October 2025, in Senga Bay, Salima, Malawi organised a consultative workshop to address the issue of monofilament nets. First reported in use in 2017 and banned since 2020, the use of monofilament nets in fishing gears continues expanding, in Lake Malawi and in all waterbodies in the country, increasingly threatening Malawi’s fish resources, which are a crucial source of employment, food security and income for the riparian communities. In 2024, it was estimated that over 1.5 million people in the country were employed directly as fishers or along the fisheries value chain.
The 2024’s survey of fishing vessels and gear indicates that today, 85 percent of the gillnets used for fishing are made out of monofilament, making it the major issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Malawi. Yet, the challenge extends beyond Malawi. The use and distribution of monofilament nets is a regional problem across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in both marine and inland fisheries.
Based on this realisation and on the urgency of the problem, Malawi showed strong engagement to catalyse collective national and regional action against monofilament nets. This two-day workshop, led by Stop Illegal Fishing through a grant provided by the FishFORCE Academy of Nelson Mandela University, had the objective to start building this regional case, whilst gathering inputs and experience to inform a national strategy against monofilament nets, focussing on evidence from Lake Malawi. The workshop was attended by 40 participants from all five districts bordering the Lake (Karonga, Nkhota Kota, Nkhata Bay, Salima and Mangochi) as well as the economic and administrative capitals Lilongwe and Blantyre. The participants represented all important stakeholder groups, including fisheries officers, research, trade and customs and the police, as well as representatives of the district, local authorities, Joint Monofilament Committees (JMCs) from the different districts, the NGO Ripple Africa and the media. Through this large representation, the workshop gathered local experiences, challenges and recommendations at district level, to use evidence from Malawi to build momentum for regional commitment.
In each district, the participants provided detailed information to help understand all aspects of monofilament nets. Malawi has engaged many initiatives to combat monofilament nets, including by setting up multi-agency JMCs that have been confiscating nets. The local authorities and the Beach Village Committees (BVCs) established along the Lake, also, play an important role to locally sensitise and confiscate illegal gears. These solutions have yielded some results, but progress has been constrained by resource limitations, low fisher awareness, and the continued accessibility of monofilament nets.
Through working groups, the participants reflected on solutions, taking into consideration what worked and what did not work in the past. As they investigated the net’s supply chain, it became evident that national measures alone will not be successful. Monofilament nets are not made in Malawi, but in China, and smuggled across Malawi’s borders from neighbouring countries. Participants were asked to provide more information about the routes of this illegal trade, and about the actors involved along the chain. Achieving a better understanding of the supply chain is key to inform operational measures to intercept those shipments before they reach the end users. This workshop was an opportunity for Malawi’s customs authorities Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) to become aware of the issue of monofilament nets, and of smuggling through the border. The MRA called for better cooperation with the Fisheries Department and proposed actions to support a better enforcement of the ban.
This workshop highlighted that ending monofilament nets in Malawi will require cooperation: at regional level, and at national level, through multi-agency cooperation and inclusion of all relevant stakeholders from the value chain, including BVCs and women fishmongers and processors. It will require continued sensitisation, as well as holistic and creative solutions that will sustain livelihoods, and help local champions driving the fight against monofilament nets.
Experiences shared during the workshop will feed into a regional case for action, to be considered by the SADC Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) Operational Task Force, whose next meeting is planned for early 2026. The objective is to table the issue at the SADC Technical Committee on Fisheries (TCF) and subsequently at the SADC Ministers’ meeting in 2026.
“We have banned monofilament nets because they are very harmful for our country, ecologically, socially, and economically. Those nets made of plastic do not biodegrade, and even disposing of them is unsafe. We want to stop their presence. We have made several efforts nationally, but we need to act as a region, said Dr. Maxon Ngochera, Head of Capture Fisheries Division, as he voiced Malawi’s commitment to end IUU fishing in Malawi and in the whole region.”