Millions of insecticide-treated mosquito nets distributed across Africa to prevent malaria are being repurposed as fishing gear, raising concerns about declining fish populations, damage to aquatic habitats and the unintended consequences of humanitarian aid.
asserted
Millions → treat → aid
The issue, highlighted in reporting by the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) and National Geographic, illustrates how equipment designed to protect public health can create environmental challenges when used for purposes other than those intended.
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equipment → highlight → those
The Gates Foundation has supported malaria prevention efforts across the world.
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Foundation → support → world
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), three billion insecticide-treated nets have been shipped worldwide since 2004, most of them to countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
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most → accord → Africa
The milestone was announced in November 2023.
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milestone → announce → November
How mosquito nets became fishing equipment
Insecticide-treated nets are designed to be suspended over beds or sleeping areas, creating a barrier between people and mosquitoes that transmit malaria.
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that → become → malaria
When used correctly, they help reduce exposure to infected mosquitoes and play a major role in preventing the disease.
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they → use → disease
However, in some communities, particularly those where fishing provides an essential source of food and income, the fine mesh of these nets has made them attractive for catching fish.
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them → provide → fish
Some fishers sew several nets together or drag them through shallow waters to collect fish that might escape conventional fishing equipment.
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that → sew → equipment
The practice has been documented in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, including communities around lakes and wetlands.
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practice → document → lakes
A 2015 National Geographic Education blog discussed how some recipients were turning mosquito nets into large fishing sieves, potentially affecting already stressed fish populations.
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recipients → discuss → populations
For households facing food insecurity or unable to afford conventional fishing nets, repurposing a freely available mosquito net can provide an immediate means of obtaining food.
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repurposing → face → food
In reporting cited by AS USA, fisher Mwewa Ndefi acknowledged the difficulty of the choice, saying, “I know it’s not right, but without these nets, we wouldn’t eat.”
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we → cite → nets
His account highlights the economic pressures that can lead people to use donated equipment in ways its providers never intended.
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providers → highlight → ways
Why the fine mesh threatens fish populations
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mesh → threaten → populations
The principal concern is the size of the fish caught.
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concern → catch → fish
Conventional fishing equipment often allows smaller fish to escape, depending on its mesh size and design.
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fish → allow → size
Mosquito nets, by contrast, have extremely fine mesh that can trap juvenile fish before they reach maturity.
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they → have → maturity
Removing large numbers of young fish from a water body can affect its ability to replenish its population.
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Removing → remove → population
Fish that are caught before reproducing cannot contribute to future generations, potentially placing additional pressure on stocks already affected by overfishing, habitat degradation and other environmental stresses.
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that → catch → overfishing
The problem can extend beyond the fish that fishers intend to catch.
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fishers → extend → that
Fine-mesh nets dragged through shallow waters may collect fish eggs and other small aquatic organisms.
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nets → drag → eggs
Such practices can also disturb spawning and nursery habitats used by fish.
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practices → disturb → fish
These effects matter particularly in lakes, rivers and wetlands that support local livelihoods.
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that → matter → livelihoods
When fish populations decline, communities that depend on them for food, employment and trade can face additional economic pressure.
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that → decline → pressure
Could insecticides also harm aquatic life?
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insecticides → harm → life
The environmental concerns are not limited to the physical effects of fine-mesh fishing.
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concerns → limit → fishing
Many long-lasting insecticidal nets contain chemicals intended to kill or repel mosquitoes.
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nets → last → mosquitoes
These treatments are designed for use in malaria prevention, not for prolonged use in aquatic environments.
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treatments → design → environments
The
World Health Organisation's malaria guidance warns that residual insecticide on discarded mosquito nets can be toxic to aquatic organisms, particularly fish, and advises communities against disposing of the nets in water bodies.
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insecticide → warn → bodies
Its guidance also stresses that old nets should be collected only when replacement nets are available, and a suitable disposal system is in place.
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system → stress → place
The potential risks depend on the type of insecticide, the condition of the net, how it is used and the local environmental conditions.
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it → depend → net
The available evidence does not establish that every net used for fishing causes measurable contamination or that all affected waters face the same level of risk.
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waters → establish → risk
Nevertheless, the possibility of chemical exposure adds another concern to the use of treated nets in lakes and rivers, especially where aquatic ecosystems support both biodiversity and human livelihoods.
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ecosystems → add → biodiversity
A life-saving campaign with an unintended consequence
The environmental concerns do not diminish the proven value of insecticide-treated nets.
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concerns → save → nets
The IFRC reported in 2023 that the three billion nets shipped since 2004 were estimated to have contributed to roughly two-thirds of the reduction in malaria cases over the preceding decades.
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nets → report → decades
The organisation also noted that about 68% of households across sub-Saharan Africa owned at least one mosquito net.
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% → note → net
The challenge is ensuring that communities can continue to benefit from malaria prevention while addressing the reasons some people turn the nets into fishing gear.
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people → ensure → gear
Providing affordable, appropriate fishing equipment, improving access to food and strengthening awareness of the risks could help reduce the practice.
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Providing → provide → practice
Better systems for collecting worn-out nets and safely disposing of them are also important.
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systems → collect → them
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
