The Okavango Fishers Association is an organisation that was formed in 1999 with the objective of furthering the interests of fishers in discussions with governments and other stakeholders in the area. The association is composed of individuals and syndicates that fish within the waters of the Okavango delta. The most prominent and active member of this association are the Boiteko Syndicate, whose membership are derived mainly from Samochima and surrounding settlements.

There have been so many developments in the fishing industry over the past few years, which have impacted on the livelihoods of the fishers in general. Some of these developments include:
1. The rise in the number of cases of conflict between the fishers and tour operators over the past few years, which have the potential of threatening the fisheries resources itself.
2. The Fisheries Division has realised that it needs to implement some management measures such as zoning to resolve some of these conflicts. To do this, the Division needs information on fish stocks and other factors, Fishers can play a critical role in collecting some of this information;
3. Acknowledging that the Fish Act is archaic, the Fisheries Division has come up with Fishing Regulations, which are closely aligned to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) fishing protocol and the 1975 Fisheries Protection Act. The eminent introduction of these regulations is a source of anxiety amongst local fishers. The community members are not clear as to what impact the introduction of these regulations will have on the industry. It is therefore imperative that efforts are made to sensitize the fishers on the impact of regulations and whet they are intended to achieve. This is necessary to ease potential conflicts that might come about as a result of the introduction of these new regulations.

4. The past few years has seen a steady growth in the number of people engaged in commercial fishing such that the facilities at Samuchima built in 1997 are no longer adequate to accommodate all the fish harvested by the different fishers. The Office complex is small and does not have a meeting room and nor a bulk safe for keeping members cash and office bearers and security personnel do not have an office to operate from. The perimeter fence is dilapidated and in need of urgent repair. The premises are therefore insecure and security of funds is not guaranteed.

It is clear from the above issues that the Okavango Fishers Association needs to be assisted to resolve some of the issues to enable it adequately serve the interests of its members and sustain the fish resource on which their livelihoods depend on. The Association is therefore seeking funds to;
1. Construct a new office complex with cold /freezer room, a conference and an office for stock assessment and measuring the days catch;
2. Build a new fence around the plot;
3. Organise training for its members in stock assessment, measurements, sustainable fishing, conflict resolution etc;
4. Undertake sustained marketing and awareness campaigns on services offered by the Association that might be of some use to hotels, restaurant and general public.