Theseus Mauruki Shambare
GOVERNMENT is pursuing the development of a Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill to address regulatory gaps identified as one of the obstacles to the growth of Zimbabwe’s aquaculture industry.
Consultations on the proposed legislation have been completed, but the Bill is still under development, as the country seeks to establish a more coordinated regulatory framework to support fish farming and create an enabling environment for investment.
Livestock and Fisheries Production Department deputy director Mr Admire Mbundure, who was representing the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri, said the absence of harmonised regulations had been identified as an impediment to aquaculture development.
Speaking during the official opening of the two-day FISH4ACP Zimbabwe Legacy Event in Harare this morning, Mr Mbundure said consultations on the proposed legislation had been completed, although the process of developing the Bill was still ongoing.
“Consultations were held towards the development, as one of the impediments to the development of fish production in Zimbabwe was identified as the lack of harmonised regulations to put to lead in the development of our aquaculture industry,” he said.
“We note that we had started a process of consultations which was completed, but we are still on the road to developing the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill.”
European Union Head of Cooperation Ms Anna Cichocka said Zimbabwe had considerable potential to expand aquaculture, but farmers continued to face challenges that required coordinated interventions across the value chain.
“Farmers also need quality fingerlings, affordable feed, reliable storage, and above all, buyers for their products,” she said.
She said sustaining the sector beyond development assistance would require stronger Government ownership, organised farmer groups and increased private-sector investment.
“The development of aquaculture cannot depend entirely and indefinitely on development assistance. It needs businesses that can grow, farmers who can earn a reliable income, and investors who see opportunities in the sector,” she said.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Sub-regional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Country Representative in Zimbabwe, Dr Patrice Talla Takoukam, said the next phase of development should focus on addressing critical gaps in production, financing and market infrastructure.
“Building on the evidence generated through FISH4ACP, the next generation of investment should focus on hatcheries and quality fingerlings, affordable locally produced feed, expanded fish production, access to finance, processing and value addition, cold-chain infrastructure, and stronger markets,” he said.
FAO National Professional Officer and FISH4ACP Project Coordinator Mr Paul Mwera said the programme had established a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together key players across the industry.
“The multi-stakeholder platform represents the value chain actors, starting from producers of feed, producers of fingerlings, marketing throughout even to the consumer,” he said, referring to the Zimbabwe Aquaculture Value Chain Council.
Mr Mbundure said Government and stakeholders should maintain the momentum created by the programme by strengthening farmer organisations, replicating innovations and completing outstanding work, including the development of harmonised regulations and a cold-chain facility under construction at Odzi in Manicaland.
FISH4ACP is an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), implemented by FAO with funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The five-year programme was launched in Zimbabwe in April 2021 to improve the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of the country’s farmed tilapia value chain.
The proposed Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill is expected to form part of broader efforts to strengthen the institutional and regulatory foundations needed to support the sustainable development of Zimbabwe’s aquaculture industry.
