Sat, 29 Jul 2017 12:29:48 +0000
By MAILESI BANDA
GOVERNMENT should ban the import of fish from countries that have the lake tilapia virus to avoid an outbreak of the same in the country, Aquaculture Development of Zambia, chairperson, Fisho Mwale has suggested.
Mr. Mwale said, while the country could not ban the imports of fish due to the trading agreements the country had accented to, there was need to protect the sector from being destroyed by the tilapia lake virus.Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Mwale said Government should act and help the aquaculture sector grow.
“Government has already identified the source of the fish that has the tilapia virus and we are proposing that they ban the importation of this dangerous fish coming from these specific countries,” he said.
He stated that after getting the tests, the government was at liberty to ban the importation of the products onto the Zambian market. “We are not advocating for a ban we are calling for regulations to avoid the Tilapia lake virus affecting our growing aquaculture sector. The virus has been identified as coming from a particular region after the testing of fish and it is a danger to the country,” he said.
And, Mr. Mwale, has appealed to the government in the 2018 national budget to set aside funds that will help intensify inspections of imported fish at the border posts to avoid the spread of viruses.
“There is need for Government to make provision in the 2018 budget for the setting up of inspectorate units at border points for the proper monitoring of fish food imports into the country,” he said. He applauded the government for implementing some of their suggestions to the 2017 national budget that saw material used in the sector being zero rated when being imported into the country
