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Walter Nyamukondiwa-Kariba Bureau

AT exactly 6am, a volley of flair is fired into the air, triggering a frenzied humming and growl of engines as angling teams race off towards a vantage fishing spot. 

For the next eight hours, it is a game of waiting. 

Cast in and cast out! 

Sometimes you catch, sometimes you don’t but it is all worth it as anglers hunt for the prized tiger fish. 

It is also a parade of trending cars and boats.

The bigger, the better! 

On show are mean utility vehicles that can tag boats with big engines. 

It attracts the who is who in the corporate and business sectors as the display of opulence cannot be missed.  

From Land Cruisers, Toyota Hiluxes, Isuzu D-Max and the Ford Rangers, all line up the Lake shore at the Heritage Harbour, tagging boat trailers. 

The launch has been moved from the usual launching bay as water levels have receded nearly a kilometre into the lake. What used to be a mass of water is now grazing ground for zebras and elephants. 

The development puts into perspective the debilitating impact of climate change. 

The day starts off as early as 4am with teams seeking to beat the 6am deadline when boats are officially launched daily for the three-day fishing extravaganza. 

Failure to meet the starting time results in disqualification of a team. 

At least 61 teams are participating in this year’s competition with 107 boats. 

The competition also includes four regional teams from South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique. 

For the first time, there are four women teams participating this year. 

The launch at Ndomo Island attracts a sizeable crowd of onlookers who are drawn by the variety of boats and personalities. 

Once the flair is fired, the boats speed off to locations that can be remotely tracked owing to an on board gadget installed on all boats. 

Unlike previous years, the fishing competition has this year adopted a new format dubbed “catch and release”. 

Fish caught is thrown back into the water as part of reforms to promote sustainable fishing. 

The format was partially implemented at the 60th edition of the Kariba International Tiger Fishing Tournament in 2021.  

These are the sights and sounds of the Kariba International Tiger Fishing Tournament (KITFT). 

For 61 years, local and international anglers have been driving or flying down to Kariba for the annual event. 

The event is as much an attraction for the local community as it is for the visitors. 

For the local community, the event brings good tidings as most people are employed to support the service industry. 

As the tournament, which started on Wednesday, came to an end yesterday with the prize giving ceremony, KITFT chairperson George Stewart believes this year’s event was bigger. 

“We are very much pleased with how this year has gone because we have more teams and corporate sponsors. 

“This year’s event is bigger than last year and I just say we have not had such levels of support for quite some time,” said Mr Stewart. 

Winners will take home a tractor, boat engine, trophies and shields among others. 

 Unlike in previous editions where winners were selected on the basis of length of the fish, this year the winning fish must be longer than the rest. 

The longest so far was measured at 76cm on the first day which translates to about 13,5kgs.

A fish weighing 16kgs was the largest recorded in recent years. 

While in previous years between 3000 and 4000 fish were caught and ended up in the frying pan, the new format sees all fish caught being released back into the water. 

“This will go a long way in saving our fish and we should see an improvement in coming years because of the new format of catch and release,” said Mr Stewart. 

KITFT has been trying to introduce the catch and release format for the past 10 years but it has faced resistance. 

The local Charara community and Ndomo Fishing Camp look forward to the tournament as it gives them opportunities to get money and look after their families. 

“The tournament is something we look forward to every year as it helps transform our lives,” said Mrs Jesina Katuya of Ndomo Fishing Camp. 

“We work in the lodges and hotels around Charara area which is the venue of the Tiger Fish Tournament. Our husbands also help provide support services to the boating crews.” 

John Siamina said the lifestyle displayed during the tournament helps inspire him to also work towards living the same life. 

For three days, Kariba is a hive of activity as the swell of people making up teams at the tournament breath life into the town, its people’s finances and social life.