HomeOld_PostsReclaiming our aquatic heritage: Part Three

Reclaiming our aquatic heritage: Part Three

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FISH introduction, as any other fauna species, is a contentious subject. 

While great socio-economic benefits can result if introductions are successful, disasters can easily occur, as in the recent case of bird flu that decimated Zimbabwe’s poultry industry, no doubt as a result of illegal smuggling of ‘road runners’ into the country.

Nonetheless, pisciculture is an underestimated economic contribution to Zimbabwe’s development agenda. 

Industrial and commercial pisciculture is the rearing and breading of fish under controlled conditions, normally undertaken in man-made water  bodies on fish farms.

To compliment and augment the Command Agriculture Programme, Government introduced the Command Livestock Programme that later also encompassed Command Wildlife and Fisheries.  

The initiative is aimed at increasing and improving employment and national food security and nutrition by increasing protein consumption. This had declined over the past two decades due to various environmental and socio-economic factors.  

The programme, according to the Ministry of Finance, would require over $300 million. 

The National Command Fisheries scheme was initiated by former President Robert Mugabe during the foundational contracting of the Tokwe-Mukosi Dam in Masvingo Province.  

The scheme has since been launched in Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Central and West as well as Matabeleland North and South, where 100 000 fingerlings were stocked in four fish ponds at Mtshabezi Dam. 

The initial phase of National Command Fisheries Programme was launched by President Emmerson  Mnangagwa in June 2017 at the newly completed Tokwe-Mukosi Dam, the country’s largest inland dam. It was launched to complement the Command Agriculture Programme in improving food security in the country. 

Tugwi-Mukosi Dam will be used as a fish production centre for the provincial Command Fisheries Programme.

The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has supplied Tokwe-Mukosi Dam with a  batch of Nile bream fingerlings; offspring from these fingerlings will be used for stocking other dams in the province and throughout Zimbabwe. 

Stocked with matemba, Tokwe-Mukosi Dam will be used as a fish production centre for the Provincial Command Fisheries Programme in that province.  

The final aim is to stock the dam with 1,5 million fish fingerlings. The introduction of matemba to this dam should also promote other piscivorous populations in the lake and, in time, also promote game fishing and other important sports and fishing tournaments.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), has received a total of 301 applications for permits to participate in the Government’s Command Fisheries Programme; 102 farmers from Mashonaland West, representing 34 percent of farmers in all the country’s provinces, and 61 farmers from Masvingo Province.   

Thirty-four farmers from each of Matabeleland North and South provinces have applied; 35 from the Midlands; 36 from Mashonaland Central and East each; 18 from Manicaland while15 applied from Harare for the programme.

Biri Dam in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West, is one of 200 dams initially identified in the country for commercial ‘cage’ production of fish.  

The restocking of Biri Dam would ensure fish stocks to introduce or restock other dams in the province. 

Cage culture is the breeding of fish in enclosures or ‘chambers’ constructed of wire netting around rigid frames that are floated or suspended in large water bodies.  

The fingerlings are put in cages to save them from being devoured by other aquatics and fish mongers that use illegal nets to harvest fish. 

The breeding and production of fingerlings would be distributed to other dams in all the provinces.  It is Government’s intention to establish eight cages in each of the larger dams and four cages in each of the medium-to-small dams during the initial phase.

In Manicaland, Rusape Dam was chosen for the provincial command fisheries launch with 25 000 fish fingerlings deposited.  

Rusape Dam is one of the largest dams in the province with potential to provide natural resource-based opportunities for the communities.  

Strategically located close to town, the dam will provide the local business community many opportunities such as fish processing and other value addition for the harvested catch from the dam.

Mashonaland West is another of the four provinces in which cage culture was introduced. 

A total of 175 people from this province have received training from Zimparks in fish farming.  Zimparks have conducted training at Biri Dam in Chinhoyi and Norton where 95 and 80 farmers, respectively, received training.

Zimparks have set up Provincial Training teams in fish farming as well as training for provincial dam management committees who will be responsible for the management and fish stocking of dams; about 537 people have already been trained.

Provincial command fisheries teams have also been set up to co-ordinate training of communities in pisciculture, including management of fish seed sperm to restock other district dams.  

Despite the country’s numerous dams, Zimbabwe still lags behind in terms of fish production.  

The stocking of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam is the first step in addressing the situation. Apart from poor fish production, the country’s per capita fish consumption is pegged at only 1kg, compared to an estimated 2,66kg in 1992; falling below SADC’s current average of 6kg annual per capita fish consumption.  

To ensure success and sustainability of the programme, the resources need to be protected.  It is hoped the issuance of licences for sustainable fishing methods to artisanal fisheries will help end the rampant poaching currently being experienced on the country’s dams.

However, the BaTonga people should be allowed to reclaim the aquatic heritage unfettered.

Although today, fishing has become an industry and scientific subject to study, indigenous people studied the behaviour and habitat of piscivorous birds such as the (hungwe) fish eagle, that served as a beacon to indicate where to set their fishing nets, traps or rods (zvirawuro).  

Other indigenous bird species that indicate the presence of fish in waterbodies include the kingfisher (kanyururahove); the jacana – lilly trotter (katewetewe); the paradise flycatcher (jayaguru) and the ubiquitous hammerkop (kondo).

The new Zimbabwe’s Command Fishery Programme cannot be fully exploited without an understanding of our indigenous aquatic heritage and ichthyology – the study of the physiology, history, socio-economic and dietary importance of fish.

Dr Michelina Andreucci is a Zimbabwean-Italian researcher, industrial design consultant, lecturer and specialist hospitality interior decorator. She is a published author in her field. For comments e-mail: linamanucci@gmail.com

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