A preliminary study on the feasibility of using fenced brushparks for fish production in Lake Chilwa, Malawi

A study to investigate the feasibility of using fenced brushparks for fish ranching in Lake Chilwa was conducted for five months at the Kachulu Harbor. In a water depth of 1.4 m enclosures constructed from bamboo sticks embedded in the sediment and surrounded by a 13 mm seine net, were filled with three different subrates (Typha, bamboo, and Sesbania branches) and a no substrate enclosure served as a control. Netting materials contributed 57 per cent towards the total cost (US$ 0.24-0.30/m2) of brushpark contruction. Fish productivity was highest in the Typha, bamboo and control treatments and lowest in the Sesbania treatments. The decomposition of substrates did not affect water quality. The results indicate that enclosed brushparks may be a feasible technology for enhancing fish yields and providing alternative income sources to fisherfolk in small lakes and water bodies.