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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Government has started issuing permits to co-operatives for commercial fishing at Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in southern Masvingo, as part of efforts to make sure Zimbabweans accrue economic benefits from the country’s largest inland water body.

The permits are being issued through the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority which is responsible for fishing operations at the dam.

Tugwi-Mukosi is at the core of the Command Fisheries programme spearheaded by Government in Masvingo and more than 200 000 fingerlings were stocked in the dam two years ago to kick-start the programme.

Under Command Fisheries, it is envisaged that communities would boost both their income through sales and also their dietary requirements.

Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo yesterday confirmed the issuance of Tugwi-Mukosi fishing permits by Government.

Mr Farawo said Government wanted communities around the dam to benefit.

“We have started issuing fishing permits at Tugwi-Mukosi and several co-operatives have already benefited,” he said.

“We are targeting co-operatives because we want as many people as possible to benefit from this dam.

“So far, several permits have been issued out mainly to co-operatives founded by communities around the dam though we have other co-operatives from as far as Masvingo City that we are also considering.”

Mr Farawo said Government wanted the local community to appreciate the importance of preserving the dam.

He said a dam management committee had since been established to lead efforts to preserve the fish resource in Tugwi-Mukosi, especially from  poachers.

The committee comprises Zimparks, the local communities in both Chivi and Masvingo districts that share Tugwi-Mukosi Dam and the police.

“This committee is mainly responsible for reducing the scourge of poaching that posed a serious threat to the fish resource in the dam and we will continue to work together to preserve the fish in the dam so that there is proper and controlled fishing for the benefit of everyone,” he said.

Mr Farawo said his organisation will expand its scope at the dam from merely policing to curb poaching to other commercial ventures upon the gazetting of Tugwi-Mukosi as a recreational area by Government.

Such a development, he said, would pave way for the establishment of a planned national park around the reservoir and setting up of facilities such as lodges to boost tourism.

“Once the area is gazetted as a recreational facility, we will then be able to move in fully and decide whether to build lodges on our own or invite investors, the model we will take will be decided after the gazetting,” said Mr Farawo.

It is the opening of avenues in fisheries at the dam that is set to excite communities in Chivi and Masvingo districts that had for long clamoured to Government demanding a share of Tugwi-Mukosi’s cake.

Police and Zimparks were forced to scale up anti-poaching operations at the dam in the wake of an upsurge in poaching by restive local communities that had increasingly grown frustrated over delays to accrue benefits from the dam which displaced more than 3 000 families from their ancestral homes.

Tugwi-Mukosi is Zimbabwe’s largest inland dam with a capacity of 1,8 billion cubic metres and was built by Government at a cost of $300 million.

The dam was commissioned in May 2017 and has potential to irrigate more than 25 000 hectares in southern           Masvingo.