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Walter Nyamukondiwa Kariba Bureau

Stakeholders in the fishing industry have gathered in Kariba to launch the Lake Kariba Inshore Fisheries Management Plan to promote sustainable and organised fishing.

The plan is a culmination of consultations and planning by fishers, Zimparks and communities with technical support and funding from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Zimparks Director-General Mr Fulton Mangwanya pledged his organisation’s support for the promotion of sustainable fishing.

Mr Mangwanya said the plan’s objectives dovetail with Sustainable Development Goals and locally, the National Development Strategy (NDS1).

FAO fisheries and aquaculture officer Mr Vasco Schmidt said the was need to fully implement the ecosystems approach in the management of the fisheries resource.

The programme has seen the resuscitation of 8 Sub-Area Fishers Association (SAFAs) and 2 District Fishers Associations (DIFAs) covering fishing districts of Nyaminyami and Binga.

Nyaminyami DIFA Chairperson Mr Tichaona Manzungu said fish catches in Lake Kariba were declining and interventions such as the fisheries management plan were needed.

Zimbabwe Kapenta Fishers Association (ZKPA) chairperson Mr Chatwell Tanga said fishers, regulators and the community were complementary.