Zambia’s fish production to hit 40,000 tons with ZAED project

ZAMBIA – The Zambian government has said that fish production is expected to increase to 40,000 tonnes upon completion of the Zambia Aquaculture Enterprise Development (ZAED) Project in 2021, reports The Times of Zambia.

The project is aimed at stimulating growth in the aquaculture subsector in order to promote economic diversification and sustainable employment generation as per the government’s priorities.

Additionally, ZAEDP also seeks to boost food security in the country.

The ZAEDP is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the government at a cost of US$50.89 million and will replenish the country with an additional 4,000 tonnes of fish.

According to David Shamulenge, the Permanent Secretary Fisheries and livestock, the Government is targeting to start producing 40, 000 tonnes of fish annually, by the end of the project which was launched in 2017.

Dr Shamulenge added that the Zambian Government was working towards ensuring the country was satisfied in terms of fish production.

Joint extension efforts by the private sector and the government have seen aquaculture expand in all nine provinces of the country, putting Zambia among the largest aquaculture producers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The government has been committed in uplifting the aquaculture sub sector in the country through encouraging the adoption of the integrated fish farming.

Despite Zambia being a land locked country, fish farming contributes greatly to its economy through offering direct employment in fisheries processing plants and its contribution to food security.

Fish contributes an estimated 3.8% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

The untold importance of the industry has led to the country receiving financial, technical, administrative and material support from a number of world agencies to promote capacity building of the aquaculture.

Of most important to the subsector are United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).