Fishing paraphernalia

On a walk down the Rovuma River we encountered various fishermen on the Tanzanian side. International law dictates that national boundaries along river channels are at the halfway point of the deepest channel. When one side is a conservation area and the other is not, it is very difficult to police and ensure strict protection. Various of the fishermen had installed nets with buoys on the Mozambican side, which is illegal, even though they are permitted to fish with impunity a few metres across on the Tanzanian side. We stumbled across this bundle of fishing paraphernalia, which may have been abandoned when we were overheard approaching. On inspection, these buoys that look like tubers appeared to be synthetic, likely mass produced and flogged at markets, to aid fishing where camouflage is advantageous. They can look like floating sticks at a glance. Wim reported this fishing to the nearby scout outpost so they can increase their activity along the river.

Later we drove from Mapanda to Rungue in a more central part of the Conservancy. We’re spending a night up an inselberg which has a magnificent baobab tree springing from it. Before dinner, Wim and Chelene’s 10-year old daughter Beatrice, took me exploring some of the rocks, piled in unlikely formations above camp. She is used to doing this with her 13-year old brother who is now at boarding school in South Africa. As she leapt about with the agility of a mountain ibex, she didn’t factor in the fact that a 36-year old may be less spritely. Some of it was fairly death-defying, and I acquired shaky knee syndrome even though I’m fine with heights. ‘You look nervous’, she said as I scaled a dead, weak, creaking branch that was the only way up a sheer rock face. That’s because I’m shitting myself and am not supposed to break a leg whilst looking after this donor, I thought.