Statistical Fisheries Data extracted from Nyasaland Department of Game, Fish, and Tsetse Control Annual Reports, 1949-1962
This page provides open access to the statistical fisheries data that we have extracted and transcribed from the annual reports of the Department of Game, Fish, and Tsetse Control between 1949 and 1962. This is available for download in excel format below.
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To access the individual annual reports and for more info on the Department, please see here.
When making use of this data, please include mention of this website so that other researchers can easily access and utilise these resources.
A note on the following data:
In line with Department reports, this data is separated in 'non-African' and 'African' fisheries.
From 1949 to 1962, between three and five 'non-African' firms operated each year, concentrating predominantly on the south-east arm of Lake Malawi. Each 'non-African' firm was required to report catch and effort data to the Department, which was then compiled in the annual reports. It is likely that underestimations were given as a result.
For 'African' fisheries, the Department relied on information gathered by African Fisheries Assistants who were stationed at various but not all landing sites throughout the lake. Given the number of landing sites that were left unobserved, and also the fact that most of those observed were based in the south of the lake, these statistics provide only vague suggestion of the overall effort of African fishing efforts.
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For more information, see our StoryMap Surveying Fisheries in Colonial Lake Malawi.
The following tables have been compiled from the data available above:
