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BLUELAND Fishing Cooperative has hit out at people who poisoned fish ponds at Harare Gardens leaving dozens of fish dead
John Murapa, a commercial fish farmer, said perpetrators should face the wrath of the law.
“If this is surely poisoning, my wish is for the culprits to face stiff penalties.
“Uyu hwaitwa ndohutsinye nekuti it is a great loss to the community.
“People are now abusing the liberty they are given in Harare Gardens and I suggest strict measures should now be adopted,” he said.
Lilian Nyashanu, a specialist from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource, said the poison could not be ascertained yet, but water samples had been taken to the laboratory for tests.
She urged fish farmers to protect their fish ponds to avoid such losses.
“I would like to urge fish farmers to regularly conduct water quality sampling,” she said.
Murapa said a lot of people do not respect nature and abuse it due to ignorance.
“People forget that these ponds are small tourist attractions and apart from that, fish are a source of proteins,” he said.
Murapa said fish farming is one of the Government’s initiatives and should be taken seriously.
He thanked the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development for the support it rendered to fish farmers.
“The Ministry has been playing a pivotal role in training and equipping fish farmers. I encourage people to respect Government initiatives like this,” said Murapa.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture, Zimbabwe was one of the top fish-farming countries in Sub-Saharan Africa despite being landlocked.
Online Reporter