The Sunday News
SMALL and upcoming kapenta and fish traders along the Zambezi River near Hwange have abandoned the lucrative business after encountering numerous challenges with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority who are reportedly confiscating their wares for not paying trading licences.
In an interview on the sidelines of a meeting organised by a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Basilizwi on Wednesday, one of the traders, Mrs Elinia Nyoni, said she had since stopped trading in fish and kapenta after ZimParks authorities, who are responsible for licensing the traders, took away her fish.
“We used to buy fish from the fishermen along the Zambezi River and resell them to Hwange or Victoria Falls but the parks officials came and confiscated all the fish,” said Mrs Nyoni from Simangani Village 10 about 50 kilometres outside Hwange town.
“They demanded a trading licence which I did not have. I can’t afford to buy the licence since I have just started this trade,” said Mrs Nyoni.
Mr Samson Shoko said the ZimParks officials were demanding about $2 fee to fish per day, which they could not afford.
“They say we are supposed to pay $2 per day to fish for daily consumption but where do we get that kind of money when we are not working,” he queried.
“They said we should only carry two to five kilogrammes of fish per day but sometimes the rangers even take away the fish when it is less than that and we don’t know why.”
Another trader, Mr David Bunku, said locals were denied the permission to even fish for relish but the fishermen from neighbouring Zambia were coming to fish in the Zimbabwe waters.
“The Zambians are fishing using the small nets and no one is arresting them. They are even fishing in our areas but when we try to fish just for relish, we are arrested,” complained Mr Bunku.
Basilizwi project officer Mr Gayson Siampongo said it was high time authorities came and engaged traders and fishermen on the issue.
“As Basilizwi, we have tried to call the national parks so that they can explain to the traders what needs to be done so that they don’t face similar challenges but it’s unfortunate that the officer whom we had invited said he was not in a position to address the traders,” said Mr Siampongo.
“We would have wanted them to come and inform the traders how they can access the permits and where are they are bought.”
Another Basilizwi project officer Mr Pottar Muzamba said there was a need for dialogue between traders and national parks officials.
“There is a knowledge and information gap between traders and parks officials which needs to be bridged but it is unfortunate that they could not attend the meeting,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from the ZimParks spokesperson Ms Caroline Washaya Moyo last week were fruitless as her phone rang unanswered.
But recently she was quoted saying her organisation was not getting Government funds to run their activities they are dependent hence depended on permit fees.
“Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has no fiscal support from Government for conservation practices. Further Zimbabwe has aggressive monitoring and law enforcement on the Lake which needs to be funded.
All proceeds from permit fees are ploughed back into conservation, research, staff costs and recapitalisation efforts on the Lake,” said Ms Washaya Moyo.
She defended the high penalties and said they were meant to curb poaching.
