Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
SOUTHERN African fisheries and aquaculture experts are convening in Harare today for a two-day regional meeting to strengthen fisheries governance, boost intra-regional fish trade and advance the Blue Economy agenda across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Project Technical Committee (PTC-08) meeting for the Programme for Improving Fisheries Governance and Blue Economy Trade Corridors in the Southern African region (PROFISHBLUE) will bring together Government officials, development partners, fisheries experts and private sector players from across the region.
The meeting, which will close on Friday, is reviewing progress made under the PROFISHBLUE programme, including implementation of fisheries governance systems, digital fisheries information platforms, Blue Economy investment plans and regional trade facilitation mechanisms.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, PROFISHBLUE project coordinator Dr Alexander Shula Kefi said the programme continues to play a strategic role in promoting sustainable fisheries management and regional integration within SADC.
“This programme aligns very well with the SADC Fisheries Protocol, which came into force in 2001,” said Dr Kefi.
“Let me encourage stakeholders to view this programme as an opportunity beyond the confines of their countries but for regional integration within the Blue Economy context in line with the SADC vision.”
He said inland fisheries remain critical for food security, nutrition and livelihoods across Southern Africa, particularly among vulnerable communities that depend on aquatic resources for survival and income generation.
“The inland fisheries sector in Southern Africa has a crucial role to play in providing food security and nutrition, particularly for poorer segments of the population to sustain livelihoods while driving economic development,” said Dr Kefi.
Under Dr Kefi’s coordination, the PROFISHBLUE programme has helped spearhead major regional initiatives, including the Lake Kariba Blue Economy Strategy and Investment Plan aimed at driving sustainable fish production and improving livelihoods for communities in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The programme has also facilitated the handover of refrigerated fish trucks and the construction of cold-room facilities in SADC member states, including Zimbabwe, as part of efforts to reduce post-harvest losses, improve fish quality and strengthen market access for fisheries producers.
Another major achievement has been the harmonisation of more than a dozen regional fisheries standards to accelerate cross-border fish trade and improve coordinated border management systems.
During the programme, delegates are expected to deliberate on the operationalisation of digital fisheries information systems, vessel monitoring and surveillance technologies, seafood cluster feasibility studies and regional Blue Economy investment strategies.
The meeting will also review the final report on the development of the Blue Economy Strategic and Investment Plan for Lake Kariba and stock assessment initiatives for Lake Tanganyika.
The PROFISHBLUE programme is funded by the African Development Bank and implemented in 16 SADC member states in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the SADC Secretariat and other technical institutions.
FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Mr Patrice Talla, said collaboration between Zimbabwe and Zambia under the programme was already yielding positive outcomes.
“The collaboration between the two countries for more sustainable systems is progressing each year, and I am confident that this new project will succeed,” he said.
“This programme will set the tone for more Blue Economy sectors’ sustainable economic growth in the SADC region.”
Delegates are also expected to discuss sustainability plans at the country level before concluding the meeting with a field visit to the Zimbabwe Fish Producers Association cold-chain facility on Friday afternoon.
