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Mashonaland West Bureau
About 102 farmers in Mashonaland West have volunteered to participate in Government’s Command Fisheries Programme.

This represents 34 percent of farmers in all the country’s provinces who have expressed interest in the programme.

Government, through the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks), has since invited interested farmers to apply for permits.

In a recent interview, Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo indicated that Harare had the least number of farmers that signed up for the programme.

“There are 301 requests submitted to the authority by individuals and groups wanting to participate in the Command Fisheries programme,” he said.

“Mashonaland West has the highest number of farmers who have expressed interest in the programme, with 102 farmers, followed by Masvingo with 61 farmers.

“Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South have 34 farmers each, 35 for Midlands, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central have 36 each, while 18 farmers applied from Manicaland, with Harare registering 15 farmers.”

Zimparks, which has since set up provincial training teams, says 175 people in Mashonaland West have been trained on fish farming. Ninety-five farmers from the province were trained at Biri Dam in Chinhoyi, while a further 80 received training in Norton.

“Training is in progress for provincial dam management committees, who will help to manage dams stocked with fish,” said Mr Farawo. “About 537 people were trained nationwide.

“Provincial Command Fisheries teams have been set and are coordinating the programmes in the provinces. The teams are collaborating with other Government departments and local leadership in achieving their mandate.”

The teams coordinate training of communities in fish farming and manage fish seed to restock other dams in all the districts. The restocking of Biri Dam, Mr Farawo said, would ensure that there was fish available to re-introduce or restock other dams in the province.

He said Mashonaland West was one of the four provinces in which cage culture had been introduced.

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