Bad fishing methods depleting fish stocks-SAFADA 

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 10:13:11 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

AQUACULTURE development in Zambia can help eradicate the bad traditional methods of fishing which are depleting the fish stocks in major water bodies across the country, Small Scale Farmers for Development Agency (SAFADA) director Boyd Moobwe has advised.

Mr Moobwe said that there was need for Government to enhance aquaculture development in Zambia to improve on the fish stocks in major water bodies.

He noted that some of the traditional methods of fishing practiced especially in the rural areas were depleting the fish stocks at a faster rate.

Mr Moobwe said in an interview with the Daily Nation that in as much as Government was trying to improve aquaculture in Zambia, more still needed to be done.

He pointed out that aquaculture development was one way of eradicating bad fishing methods that had resulted in fish stocks being depleted in major water bodies.

Mr Moobwe said that people in rural areas were currently using mosquito nets and some kind of poison to catch fish in large quantities.

“Aquaculture is much talked about by Government but very little is done to support small scale farmers in fish farming. Aquaculture is one farming venture that can reduce fishing practice on big rivers such as Kafue, Zambezi and Luangwa rivers and lakes,” he said.

Mr Moobwe stressed the need to empower small scale farmers in rural areas to venture into aquaculture on a commercial level.

Meanwhile, Mr Moobwe said that needed to be done if the agriculture sector was to perform well, and that SAFADA’s efforts in assisting small scale farmers should not be overlooked.

He disclosed that SAFADA had for a long time tried to seek audience with Government and discuss the way forward for the Zambian farmers but the efforts were largely ignored.

Mr Moobwe charged that the agriculture sector was not performing according to expectations because it was not producing the required results.

He pointed out that the objective for the Government at the moment was to ensure that the Zambian farmers became wealth but that the desired outcome was still far from becoming a reality.