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Admore Mbonda in Kariba
AT Least 22 farmers graduated in fish farming at the University of Zimbabwe Lake Kariba Research Station after undergoing a week-long aquaculture training programme.

This comes amid indications that Lake Kariba alone had potential to meet the country’s fish needs through training of locals on production.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the station’s lecturer Prof Maxwell Barson said the university was committed to supporting and capacitating fish farmers to increase production.

“Lake Kariba alone has the potential to produce enough fish to feed the whole country but what was lacking in the past was training for locals to venture into fish farming,” he said.

“As a higher learning institution we have over the past year developed strategies aimed at growing the aquaculture sector through training of farmers and students.”

He said those who participated in the week-long training programme should also empower others by imparting some of the knowledge to others in their communities.

The farmers were drawn from Kariba, Marondera, Karoi and Bindura.

He said the university had seen it fit to maintain station as a centre of excellence in fisheries and aquaculture research and training.

Prof Barson said UZ was also facilitating trainings at various levels on fisheries biology, aquaculture, aquatic ecology and health.

He said apart from providing research and training, the university had forged partnerships with Government, local authorities, the private sector and non-governmental organisations to push the growth of the aquaculture industry.

There is high demand for fish within the country and the Southern African region and local fish farmers are expected to take advantage by producing more to close the supply gap.

This is expected to boost nutrition.

In interviews, those who graduated said they were ready to produce fish for their families, the community and the country.

Said Miss Angeline Zengeya of Marondera: “The depletion of fish in Lake Kariba is due to overfishing and use of illegal fishing methods which threaten the livelihood of many households. With the training we should be able to produce more fish in our areas to reduce the pressure on the Lake.”