adminOliver Kazunga recently in Binga
“LIFE has become so unbearable,” said Kenias Chigwagwa, the chairman of the Kujatana Kwesu Union, a representative body of the kapenta fishing co-operatives in Binga. He said this in an interview with Business Chronicle last week trying to depict how the members of fishing co-operatives in Binga were finding it difficult to make ends meet.
“Life has become so unbearable for members whose kapenta fishing co-operatives have collapsed recently due to low water levels in the Zambezi River. Through the existence of co-operatives, people have been able to eke out a living. However, life has become miserable for most of the former co-operative members whose organisations have collapsed.
“The low water levels have seen kapenta fish that require deep waters disappearing from the basins. As a result, the basins now have few kapenta populations which are unsustainable to the co-operatives in Binga,” said Chigwagwa.
The low water levels at Zambezi were due to poor rainfall received by countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia and Angola in the previous rain season.
He said their situation had been worsened by the fact that Binga is dry which makes it difficult for them to venture into crop production.
The kapenta fishing co-operatives in Binga carry out their activities from Basin 1, which covers Mlibizi area, Basin 2 (Binga Centre) and Chete Gorge which represents Basin 3.
In the past few months, the visibly distraught Chigwagwa said, about four kapenta fishing co-operatives had collapsed owing to low water levels in the Zambezi River.
Due to dwindling water levels one co-operative with an average of 10 members was producing 12 by 50 bags of kapenta per month compared to a peak output of over 30 bags per month.
Katuya, Kansalozyesu, Twaimikila and Manjolonsungwale and a fishing company were some of the projects that had shut down.
Chigwagwa also said the collapse of fishing co-operatives was being exacerbated by the increased number of rigs along the Zambezi River, a development that had seen a quick depletion of kapenta fish in the river.
“Of late, there have been so many fishing permits that have been issued by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA). Such a development has created an influx of rigs along the Zambezi River and thus the kapenta fish population has been depleted so rapidly.”
Chigwagwa implored the government through departments such as ZPWMA to impose fishing quotas along the Zambezi River in order to improve the population of kapenta.
“As a union, we would want the government to give a four month resting period so that the fish population in the river can improve,” he said.
He added that the viability of fishing co-operatives in Binga had been further threatened by multiple charges that they were being made to pay to various authorities.
For instance, ZPWMA was charging $2,000 for a fishing permit on each vessel and $70 annually for lake navigation, $20 per month for an operating licence and $500 for leasing land from Binga Rural District Council, among other levies to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
A fisherman Thatcher Siamarengwa echoed similar sentiments adding that the fishing co-operatives in Binga were also collapsing as a result of huge outstanding bills.
“Most of the co-operatives, apart from dwindling water levels in the river, have debts running to over $4,000 which they owe to authorities such as the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. Some as a result of failing to meet their tax obligations have collapsed and have been issued with summons,” he said.
He said some of the now defunct kapenta fishing projects have resorted to renting out their boats to resilient individuals.
“Our livelihood is now under threat as most of us depended on kapenta fishing,” he said.
Online Reporter