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Theseus Shambare in MUTARE
Days are numbered for fraudsters who have been supplying poor-quality fingerlings, feed and other consumables to fish farmers.
Authorities have vowed to take decisive action to curb this and protect the interests of farmers.
The director responsible for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Department (FARD) in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Mr Milton Makumbe made these remarks during a tour of fish farms in Manicaland on Thursday morning.
The tour, organised in conjunction with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Zimbabwe Fish Producers Association (ZFPA) will also see the commissioning of the fingerling distribution hub in Nyanga today, the second of its kind in the country.
The programme is being implemented under the Fish for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (FISH4ACP), which is bankrolled by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
“We are putting in place a Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill that will see any potential supplier of fingerlings being registered with the department.
“This will ensure that everyone supplies the recommended quality of fish seed,” said Mr Makumbe.
He said the bill is expected to be finalised in January and will regulate the industry and protect fish farmers from exploitation.
“We have seen cases where a farmer purchases a thousand fingerlings but only receives 500,” he said.
“This kind of fraud will not be tolerated. The time for such practices is over.”
He said the new bill will also regulate the quality of fish feed and the use of plastic in aquaculture.
“Fish feed must be tested to ensure that it meets nutritional requirements for all the life stages of the fish. Aquaculture plastic must be UV-treated and sufficiently thick to be durable and environmentally friendly,” said Mr Makumbe.
ZFPA chairperson Mr Garikai Munatsirei said fraudsters have negatively affected the sector and are hindering its growth.
“We need to put an end to fraudsters who have been preying on unsuspecting farmers. This has been stifling the sector’s growth,” said Mr Munatsirei.
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