ZPCS set to expand fish breeding project in Matabeleland North

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) is set to expand its aquaculture project at the 40 million cubic-metre Bubi-Lupane Dam in Matabeleland North with plans underway to set up a hatchery and feed processor which will supply fingerlings and feed to local fish farmers.

The ZPCS established the fish breeding project in November 2018 and the project is part of the Command Fisheries programme.

When Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo commissioned the project, the ZPCS had planted 10 000 tilapia fingerlings in a cage on the dam.

Three batches of 10 000 tilapia breams have been harvested so far. Each batch yields an average of 3 000kg every six months with a net profit of US$3 500.

About half of the harvested fish goes towards feeding inmates in the province while the surplus is sold to supermarkets, restaurants and hotels in Matabeleland North and Bulawayo.

Matabeleland North has seven prisons — Anju, Tsholotsho, Lupane, Hwange, Victoria Falls, Binga and Nkayi, which are home to about 500 inmates.

ZPCS spokesperson for Matabeleland North, Mr Bothwell Bosha said the expansion programme of the Lupane fish breeding project is aimed at supporting the growth of the fish industry as well as raising revenue for the organisation.

“We are planning to set up a hatchery and a feed processor which will supply fingerlings and feed to fish farmers in the Matabeleland region at reasonable prices. This is going to support the fish industry, and at the same time, raising revenue for us thus lessening burden on the fiscus,” he said.

“Our project is still growing and we are in the process of increasing our capacity by adding more cages.”

However, like other businesses, the project is facing challenges such as high initial costs of establishing the cage system, fish feed, the unavailability of fingerling suppliers locally and inadequate refrigeration facilities.

“This fish farming project is part of our broader thrust to complement allocations from the Government and to improve the nutrition of prisoners. It has been a very helpful project because we had cases of malnutrition among prisoners resulting diseases such as pellagra, a disease caused by Vitamin B-3 deficiency.,” he said

“These fish will go a long way in feeding inmates at seven of our prisons and the inmates now have a balanced diet and we are happy about that.”

Mr Bosha said plans are underway to expand the project to Manzimahle Dam in Tsholotsho to supply inmates in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province.

“We will assess the dam first but we hope to put two cages at Manzimahle Dam. The plan is to have four cages with a capacity to accommodate 10 000 tilapia bream each and to harvest after every three to four months. This would boost our financial position as a province and assist in improving the diet of inmates,” he said.

The project is meant to supplement Government’s efforts in securing food for prisons with public institutions being urged to be innovative and come up with income-generating projects that supplement their budgetary allocations to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

In addition to the fish farming venture, ZPCS Matabeleland North also runs a wild kapenta fishing project in the Binga area on the Zambezi River.

President Mnangagwa last month expanded the Agriculture Ministry to Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement by setting up a new department as part of preparing and implementing a Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry Development Plan.

The new department, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, is set to spearhead the development, expansion and necessary regulation of fisheries.

The new department is also tasked with formulating and implementing the Fisheries Research and Development Programme, and formulating and enforcing laws, rules and regulations governing the management of fisheries among many other functions.

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Department also provides extensive development support services in all aspects of fisheries production, processing and marketing and promoting proper utilisation and conservation of the country’s fisheries and Aquatic resources. — @mashnets