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Walter Nyamukondiwa Kariba Bureau
GOVERNMENT is set to engage Zambia to find solutions to the dwindling fish stocks and transboundary poaching in Lake Kariba amid revelations that there were now more than 2 000 fishing boats and rigs in the lake.

The number of boats and rigs in the lake is believed to be inordinately higher than allowable numbers for sustainable harvesting of fish.

From a peak of between 30 000 and 54 000 tonnes of kapenta in 1998, harvests have declined to around 7 000 tonnes.

Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira said the challenges in the lake required engagement with her Zambian counterpart for speedy resolution.

“Zambia and Zimbabwe at the moment are working closely as far as wildlife is concerned and fisheries are part of wildlife. We are on good talking terms with my colleague and if there are issues we can always engage,” she said.

“We always find solutions together. When there were problems in Victoria Falls we engaged and the matters were resolved. We are going to have an environment meeting soon with our Zambian counterparts and we need to understand the issues so that we can take them on board.”

Briefing a stakeholders’ workshop in Kariba last week, Parks and Wildlife ecologist Mr Itai Tendaupenyu said earlier agreed ratios in line with the 1999 Protocol between the two countries were not being followed.

The 1999 Protocol gave Zimbabwe a 55 percent quota with Zambia getting the remaining 45 percent based on an agreed formula in the lake.

“We conducted a bio-economic survey and it was discovered that the ratio is now 70:30 in favour of Zambia. What that means is that any intervention without Zambia would not achieve anything,” he said.

Policy incongruence has been blamed for overfishing in the lake as Zimbabwe regards fishing in the lake as commercial fishery while it is regarded as an open access resource across the border.

Official figures put the number of boats and rigs in Zambia at around 900 and about 500 in Zimbabwe.

“Officially Zambia has about 900 boats but other sources put the figure at more than 1 600 boats. Zimbabwe has about 500 boats but they could be more in the lake as some of them operate illegally,” said Mr Tendaupenyu.

Zimbabwe reduced fishing by 30 percent in 2015 through the seven-day full moon window which saw catches increasing to around 188kg per rig each night from 88kg in Kariba Basin 5.

That effort, he said, would not result in overall improvement in fish stocks if not implemented holistically.

Minister Mupfumira said every boat should be licensed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development before one gets a fishing permit.

This, she said, would help in ensuring the number of boats and rigs in the lake was regulated and to curtail abuse of the permits.

Senator for Kariba and Hurungwe Cde James Gumpo called for concerted efforts to replenish and manage the fish stocks in Lake Kariba saying it was a key economic pillar of the town.