GUMARE - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill ambassador, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, has expressed optimism that Botswana would reach Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Crown Prince was speaking during last weeks visit to Okavango Fisheries Association, a UNDP funded project in collaboration with Botswana through Biokavango, in Samochima 10km from Shakawe, to promote sustainable utilization of natural resources to develop the local communities.

He expressed satisfaction over the commitment exhibited by Okavango Fisheries Association to use fish from the Okavango Delta to better their lives at the same time allowing them ample time to reproduce and multiply.

He further described the association as a good example for others to emulate and a show of quality and prudence.

The ambassador, who said he had long wanted to visit the country, also wanted to know how Biokavango project, had changed the way the communities fish and next step forward.

In response, Mr Saushuko Ndjwaki, chairperson of Okavango Fisheries Association, said before Biokavango project was set up, Samochima used to be a conflict hot spot between fishermen and tour operators over equitable utilization of the delta resources, but now they have since been resolved.

Ndjwaki added that Biokavango has also improved fisheries management systems with the technical advice they offer in terms of business management and issues of sustainable use of fish from the delta.

He also said they have been empowered to maintain their cultural ways of fishing, basket fishing among others, but this time mindful of conservation.

Shedding more light on the benefits from Biokavango, he outlined five different fishing nets they used before Biokavango set up, and explained that for the sake of conservation, they have settled for three since the other two, number two and three, trap young fish, which compromises reproduction and sustainability.

Nonetheless, he said however much they try to conserve Okavango natural resources from extinction, their efforts are stalled by governments lack of commitment on issues of conservation of natural resources. Government only pays lip service to natural resources conservation; otherwise they wouldnt allow tourists to go into the delta unaccompanied by tour guides since nobody knows what they can do to our natural resources.

Government should enact a legislation that would not allow tourists to tour unaccompanied he charged.Furthermore, Mr Ndjwaki pleaded with the UNDP Ambassador to renew Biokavango mandate that is due to elapse end of December 2010.

For his part, the Okavango MP Mr Bagalatia Arone expressed concern that, though government is committed to the upliftment of the lives of all Batswana, residents are still lagging behind on issues of education and health, therefore pleaded with the Ambassador to consider donations that would help in this regard.

He also requested for Biokavango project to be extended with atleast two more years to benefit locals who eke out a living through harvesting natural resources.

We want natural resources to be used to alleviate poverty within our communities he said.

From Samochima, the Crown Prince flew to Xakanaxa where he was impressed by the capacity of the tour operators, who have been empowered by Biokavango, to control Salvinia Molester, an evasive water plant that outgrows other water plants to block the river channels, according to Mr Geof Khwarae, Biokavango project assistant-technical.

Instead of always waiting for water affairs department to control the parasitic plant, the royal appreciated that Biokavango has built the tour operators capacity to do the job themselves.

The visit was intended for the royal to interact with communities in the Okavango area where environmental conservation initiatives are carried out through Biokavango and witness how they benefit from UNDP programmes, in a bid to attain the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Since his appointment in 2003, he has been visiting a number of UNDP country offices, advocating for progress towards the attainment of MDGs.BOPA