The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Senior Reporter
THE National Command Fisheries Programme with an initial budget of $1 million will see the establishment of thousands of fishing co-operatives across the country and is expected to create an estimated one million jobs in line with the Zim Asset blueprint.
A total of 335 dams across the country have since been earmarked for the initial phase of National Command Fisheries Programme, which is being spearheaded by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks).
Launched at Tokwe-Mukosi Dam in Masvingo last week, the fisheries programme is expected to boost local fish production from about 18 400 tonnes to almost 1,5 million tonnes per year when the available dams are used to capacity.
The country has a total of over 10 700 small, medium size and large dams with conducive environments for intensive fish production.
Zimparks acting spokesperson Mr Simukai Nyasha told Sunday News that a budget of about $1 million had been set, with funding coming from the Government, the corporate sector and development partners.
Mr Nyasha said an estimated 1,2 million people across the country were expected to benefit from the programme at primary production level in addition to creating an estimated one million jobs in the fisheries industry and other downstream industries.
“Approximately one million is required to roll out this programme. Most dams will be stocked with bream while Kapenta will be introduced in Tokwe-Mukosi. Jobs to be created are very difficult to quantify.
“There are direct jobs and indirect jobs. But certainly over a million jobs because individuals will also venture into fish farming — not only relying on dams,” he said.
The Zimparks acting spokesperson added, “With an average of five co-operatives per dam with a membership of 20 fishermen, these dams have the capacity to support 214 000 families. With an average family size of six, these dams if fully utilised will support 1 284 000 people throughout the country at the primary production level.”
Mr Nyasha said targeted beneficiaries of the National Command Fisheries Programme were local communities who have access to water bodies that were conducive for fish production.
He said vulnerable and marginalised groups in communities would be organised into co-operatives to benefit from the fisheries programme, while private fisheries would also be supported under the programme.
“The main focus will be to blend the beneficiaries with marginalised groups of the society that is women, youth, orphans, disabled and other disadvantaged groups who will be organised into co-operatives.
“Schools, charity organisations, co-operatives, private and/or individual aquaculture ponds will also be supported under this Command Fisheries initiative,” he said.
Mr Nyasha said research centres have been set in different parts of the country which will assist in the propagation of fingerlings and as well as provide technical support to co-operatives that would have been established.
The centres include Lake Kariba Fisheries Research Institute, Lake Chivero Fisheries Research Centre, Lake Mutirikwi Fisheries Research Centre and the Nyanga National Park Trout Research Station.
Mr Nyasha said the implementation plan for the National Command Fisheries Programme would involve, stocking of fingerlings in provincial and district dams and stocking of provincial dams (fish seed production centres).
The implementation will also involve distribution of fingerlings to prospective fish farmers, awareness campaigns on the command fisheries program, allocation of Nile Bream fingerlings to prospective communal farmers and schools, allocation of Nile Bream fingerlings to provincial and district dams and monitoring and evaluation of fish production in seed production dams and community ponds.
Mrs Nyasha said most of the initial stock would be sourced from Lake Kariba.
“The command fisheries concept is anchored on research centres that have already been strategically established in different geographical locations around the country.
“Zimparks, respective Rural District Councils, traditional leadership and local dam management committees are being organised to be able to manage the fisheries business.
“Both Parks personnel in provinces and the beneficiaries will be trained in the fisheries and aquaculture management and sustainable utilisation of the fish resource,” he said.
Mr Nyasha said the suppressed production of fish in the country was creating increased demand for fish and subsequent pressure on the few water bodies available.
“Demand for fish has outgrown supply with some consumers importing Kapenta from Cabora Bassa. This has also increased pressure on Lake Kariba as the sole supplier of Kapenta with more subsistence poaching, transboundary poaching and arrests being encountered.
“These problems can be curtailed if more effort is put in improving fisheries and aquaculture production in the other dams and ponds,” he said.
The National Command Fisheries Programme is being implemented in line with Government’s policy blueprint, Zim Asset’s food security and nutrition cluster.
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