Sundaymail EditorTheseus Shambare recently in KARIBA
AS the setting sun casts a golden glow over the rippling waters of Lake Kariba, Gogo Annah Shonhiwa (80) stands beside the shore, her hands grasping an empty net — a harsh contrast to the bountiful hauls of her younger days.
“Instead of 15 crates per night, I now get only four,” she said.
“I raised my sons on this, but it is now all gone.”
Her eyes, once bright, now look dull, reflecting the lake’s dwindling fortunes.
Statistics show kapenta catches have plummeted from 30 000 tonnes in the 1990s to just 5 175 tonnes in 2023 — an 83 percent drop.
A 2011 study by a team of researchers led by Dr Nkosinathi Ndebele-Murisa on aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and climate change impact in Lake Kariba traced the sharp decline of kapenta in the lake over 44 years.
In 1968-1969, the fish yield was 5,6 kilogrammes/hectare, increasing to between 31,7kg/ha and 342kg/ha in 1986, before peaking at over 30 000 tonnes per year in the 1990s.
By 2002, yields had already dropped to 20 000 tonnes.
More recent data from the 2024 Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Department (FARD) annual report shows a steady decline over the past four years: from 5 950 tonnes in 2020-2021 to 5 333 tonnes in 2021-2022, then to 5 231 tonnes in 2022-2023, and finally to 5 175 tonnes in 2023-2024.
Overfishing is the major culprit.
“The lake is overwhelmed,” said Zimbabwe Kapenta Producers Association chairperson Mr Chatwell Tanga.
“We have over 1 800 fishing rigs, far exceeding the recommended 500.”
He said there was rampant unlicensed operations and corruption, where offenders bribe their way back into the lake.
“They even fish in shallow waters where kapenta lay eggs,” he added, highlighting violations of regulations enforced by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
“Fines are paid, and they return.”
Climate change
The crisis, however, extends beyond human actions.
Climate change is disrupting kapenta breeding cycles and reducing the availability of phytoplankton, their primary food source.
Rising water temperatures are also altering the lake’s delicate ecosystem, while pollution from agricultural runoff, industrial waste and sewage is further stressing fish populations.
Carbon emissions from fishing rigs exacerbate these environmental changes, indirectly affecting kapenta production.
The decline in kapenta stocks ripples throughout Kariba’s economy, as local markets struggle to have supplies.
Prices have skyrocketed as a result.
The average price of a kilogramme of kapenta over the past five years has ranged from US$8 to US$9.
Before that, the price was fixed at US$6, but would drop to as low as US$4,50 — and sometimes even US$3,50 — during the peak capture period in July when supply increased.
“People are struggling to feed their families,” said market vendor Mrs Maria Shambare. “We used to sell bucketfuls; now, we are lucky to fill a bowl.”
Tourism, a vital local industry, has also suffered.
“Without kapenta, we have nothing,” said David, a worker at a lodge in Nyamhunga.
As a result, unemployment is on the rise, and many young men are leaving the community in search of better opportunities elsewhere.
Hope springs eternal
Amid this crisis, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill is offering a potential lifeline.
The proposed law aims to establish clear regulations, curb overfishing and create a fisheries fund to support sustainable fishing practices.
It also seeks to introduce stricter penalties for illegal fishing and ensure better enforcement of existing laws.
“We welcome this Bill,” said Mr Jimmyson Kazangarare of the Crocodile Farmers Association.
During recent nationwide consultations on the Bill, experts advocated a multi-pronged approach: stricter regulations, community-based management, investment in research and the promotion of sustainable aquaculture practices.
The consultations, conducted by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), under the Fish for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (FISH4ACP) initiative, brought together private sector representatives, fish farming organisations and individual fish farmers.
These stakeholders played a key role in shaping a legal framework that seeks to foster growth and sustainability in the fishing industry. The Bill will be presented to Parliament’s Food and Nutrition Security Committee before being submitted to Cabinet for approval.
FARD director Mr Milton Makumbe underscored the need for stronger regulation.
“Overfishing happens even in breeding seasons,” he said.
“The new Bill will address these loopholes.”
He called for stricter penalties, similar to those for livestock theft, for those caught illegally fishing.
FISH4ACP programme coordinator Mr Paul Mwera stressed the need for urgency in promulgating the proposed law.
“FISH4ACP supports sustainable fisheries, focusing on Kariba’s kapenta,” he said.
“We hope the Bill will solve these problems.”
Kapenta once sustained families, markets and an entire way of life in Kariba, but now it is vanishing.
Without urgent action, the industry and people such as Gogo Shonhiwa who depend on it will be left with nothing but fading memories of the lake’s former abundance.
Online Reporter