On one side of the Chobe river is the world renowned Chobe National Park, on the other, villages that still largely rely of subsistence living. Often overlooked, the Namibian fisherman are still eking out a living off of the traditional fishing techniques passed down through generations. While the dug-out canoes known as a “Mokoro” are painstakingly carved out of trees, nylon nets are now used to spread across the river.
While there are certainly some conservation concerns, such as African Darters (a species of bird) getting tangled in these nets, this level of fishing has less effect than the many trawling boats that have taken over many of Africa's rivers and dams.
During the dry season these Mokoro fisherman can be seen in higher numbers, as agriculture is impacted by the lack of rain. As this happens, the conflict between tourism and culture grows. I even find myself angered when nets span their way across the whole of the river, getting wrapped up around unsuspecting props, crocodiles and birds.
Below are a few of my favourite images of these Mokoro fisherman from the last few months, as well as a final few images showing some of the impacts to wildlife.
