Zimbabwean government introduces cage culture in bid to unlock fish farming’s full potential

ZIMBABWE – The government of Zimbabwe has set out to facilitate the introduction of cage culture in an effort to commercialize fish farming and enhance food production for its citizens.

A project of constructing community gardens across the country that accommodate two fish ponds and various dams is currently in progress and has led to the rise of many fish hotspots which will soon commercialize their operations.

This cage culture will allow the farmers to use fish cages in dams through granted permits to make use of the country’s water bodies.

The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will identify and make accessible suitable water bodies to prospective farmers, according to the deputy director Mr Milton Makumbe.

“We will provide technical support ad advisory services to farmers to ensure the project’s success and continuity,” said Makumbe.

He also said that the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development targets to grow the number of commercial fish farmers through the cage culture program.

This initiative has so far gained traction with several fish farmers now involved in cage culture despite cage production being expensive.

“We have individuals from the Zimbabwean Fish Producers Association that we work with who have ventured into commercial cage production,” Mr Makumbe said.

As part of the initiative, the department is also introducing fish stock in irrigation schemes to increase the volume of fish produced in the industry.

Another government-led initiative that is benefitting the country is the Presidential Community Fisheries Scheme whose goal is to restock Zimbabwe’s 1,200 fish dams for the next five years so as to grow the fishing sector into a major contributor to the economy.

Fish processing sites and markets in provinces and in the fish hotspots will also be established as part of The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department’s strategy to develop and commercialize the industry.

As the fisheries sector continues to grow, it is of vital importance that proper infrastructure is put in place as well. This will uplift and improve rural livelihoods and will in turn help achieve an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.

The growth of the industry will also attract new players and soon after the Fisheries Department has finished setting up an Act to provide a legal framework for the sector, the country will be elevated into various fisheries and aquaculture international charters

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