37 dams stocked with fish

Sunday Mail Reporter

GOVERNMENT has stocked 37 dams with fish under the Presidential Community Fisheries Scheme, an initiative designed to enhance food and nutrition security, and improve livelihoods of people living near water bodies.

Under the programme, about 1 200 dams have been certified for stocking with tilapia (breams), while local communities will receive training on sustainable exploitation of the fish.

Zimbabwe has an annual requirement of 30 000 tonnes of fish, while current production stands at 14 000 tonnes.

Through the dam stocking initiative, it is expected that production will jump to 40 000 tonnes by 2025.

In an interview, director of fisheries and aquatic resources in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Mr Milton Makumbe said: “Since the launch of the programme by President Mnangagwa at Muchekeranwa Dam in May 2021, we can say that we have made notable progress.

“Dams are being stocked with tilapia fish and communities are receiving training on sustainable exploitation.

Through current interventions, he said, fish production is projected to reach 35 000 tonnes next year, with approximately 9 000 coming from aquaculture schemes.

The department has received a US$700 000 budget to expand the scheme.

Separately, Government is also accelerating establishment of village fish ponds in established nutrition gardens in villages countrywide.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry Dr John Basera said this was part of smart agriculture.

“Success of the programme will be measured through the number of fish ponds stocked, number of fingerlings stocked, growth rates, fish sold and consumed at the end of the production cycle,” he said.

“We are talking of smart agriculture here.

“Waste from one system becomes an input in the other. Nutrient-rich water from the ponds can be used for watering horticultural crops.

“ Crop and animal waste can be used to fertilise the fish ponds.”

The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority is managing the ponds, while farm managers are providing technical support.

According to the final Crop, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment Report, 7 091 nutrition gardens covering 6 277 hectares have been established.