Fisherman Abakar, carefully steering his boat through shallow water near the small village of Tagal, comes from a family that has been living on the lake for many generations. His community of professional fishermen, he says, had once been relatively well off. They were even able to send some money to family members who lived without access to the lake’s treasures.

But making a living as a fisherman on Lake Chad has become increasingly difficult. The sinking water level naturally reduced the amount of fish in the lake. Some species have been wiped out altogether.

“In my father’s time, there were a lot of fish in the lake throughout the year,” says Abakar. “Now, for seven, eight months, there is almost nothing.”

When Boko Haram violence reached their island, the entire community fled, leaving everything behind. Abakar now shares a pirogue with five families. He has borrowed a net from a local fisherman, and tries to pay back his debts with the little he catches.

Since the Chadian authorities have ordered the evacuation of all islands, fishing is only allowed in a small stretch near the shore. Those who venture further risk their lives.

“Out in the lake, I threw my nets two times, and caught enough to even sell some on the market. Here after ten times, it’s still not enough,” says Abakar. “We used to have three meals every day, now we only eat in the evening. Fish, if anything.”

For months displaced families were drinking water from the lake, many children fell sick with diarrhoea. Some fishermen have converted to farming. The rich soils in the dried-out lake bed have potential for agriculture but many are too insecure to access, and to reap the potential, major investments are needed to set up irrigation infrastructure.

Despite the precarious living conditions, Abakar would not consider a change. “You see my son here, who is helping me? He will become a fisherman too,” he says.

“We depend on what the lake provides, survive thanks to the lake. We are married to the fish.”

November 29th, 2019

November 14th, 2019

The environmental impact of hurricanes

November 29^th, 2019

November 14^th, 2019