By Winston Muleba Jr
Aquaculture
promotion in Zambia has a long history, dating back over forty years.
Considerable work by the Department of Fisheries in cooperation with
international assistance agencies and NGOs in promoting aquaculture practices
in the country has resulted in a positive contribution of the sector to the
economy. According to FAO,
aquaculture is the farming of aquatic
organisms, including fish, mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic plants. It
comprises diverse systems of farming plants and animals in inland and coastal
areas and often complements other food production systems. In the context of
the rural poor, aquaculture often complements catches from traditional
fisheries.
Fish is a critical source of dietary protein in sub-Saharan Africa,
providing an estimated 40% of animal protein in the diet of Zambians (ACF/FSRP, 2009).
His Excellency Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata,
president of the republic of Zambia
on the occasion of the official opening of the third session of the
eleventh national assembly on Friday, 20th September, 2013 made
mention that the agriculture sector is key to assuring national food and
nutritional security, mitigating high poverty levels and creating job
opportunities as such His Excellency
further confirmed that government will enhance use of science and technology in
pursuit of its policy objective of achieving a competitive, diversified and
sustainable agricultural sector.
In Zambia, it is operated at two levels:
land based (i.e. use of ponds and tanks with and without recirculatory system)
and cage aquaculture. These practices involve higher stocking densities of
mono-sex species, reliance on feed and oxygen supplementation in some cases
(Musuka et al, 2012). Statistics shows that in 2011, the contribution to GDP of
fisheries and aquaculture as a subsector of the agricultural sector had an
average 3 percent out of the 18 percent share that agriculture, forestry and
fishing contributed to GDP (ZDA, 2011). In
2012, the agriculture sector contributed 19.2 percent to the gross
domestic product. This was on account of good performance of the
sub-sectors.
The minister of finance Mr.
Alexander Chikwanda in his budget presentation stated that the promotion of a
diversified agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector will be a central pillar
of development strategy for consolidating
economic growth in 2014. It is Government’s desire to see the agriculture
sector grow to its full potential with many small-scale farmers graduating to
become prosperous medium to large scale producers.
His Excellency on the same occasion
of the official opening of the third session of the eleventh national
assembly also stated that the current supply levels of fish from our
rivers and lakes cannot meet the national demand due to depleted fish stocks. Accordingly,
the government will then continue promoting aquaculture through the
establishment of fish hatcheries and lake based nurseries across the country. In
addition, the government shall promote fish conservation and surveillance to
promote sustainable exploitation of capture fisheries resource.
As
aquaculture production continues to expand and intensify both its reliance and
its impact on fisheries is increasing. The balance between farmed and
wild-caught fish, as well as the total supply of fish available for human
consumption depends on future trends in aquaculture practices. The goal of
aquaculture is to produce more fish for consumers than can be produced naturally
this makes the fisheries industry to contribute
significantly to the agriculture sector in Zambia although the demand for fish
outstrips supply.
Being
a fastest growing industry, the sector is
considerable, and provides important contributions to poverty and food security
through interlinked pathways, nutritional
benefits from the consumption of fish; income to those employed in the sector;
through generation of revenues from exports, taxation, license fees and from
payment for access to resources by foreign investment in aquaculture. With respect to the afore said, aquaculture contribute to
the alleviation of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty through the
provision of food of high nutritional value .The sector provides employment to
many people, direct and indirect employment, thereby
providing new economic opportunities, particularly for women and youths
employment. The entry into the sector of five new investors (Savanna and Eureka
farms in Lusaka, Revendel Tilapia Enterprises in Luanshya, Aqua and St. Patrick
fish farm in Kafue) showed an increase in investment, implying that fish
production from aquaculture could be increased 10-fold, contributing
significantly to national food security, important domestic provider of much needed
high quality animal protein and other essential nutrients (generally at
affordable prices to the poorer segments of
the community) and/or a provider of employment opportunities and cash
income (DoF 2010).These are some
important ways in which the aquaculture
sector contributes to economy. The post-harvest subsector provides women with
many jobs, playing an essential role in economic and social development. It is
actually noted that the income generated from this sector substantially contributes
to national wealth. The Fish exported help
national economy enter international markets, particularly in high added value
segments (Tilapia, crustaceans, etc.). When the trade balance in aquaculture
products is positive, as in some other countries aquaculture is a net provider
of currency to the national economy. Some income is also generated from Fish farming licenses and fishery-related
taxes which are also an important source of income for the country.
These taxes are typically applied on imported fishing inputs, such as fishing
gear, engines and fuel, and on fish exports. These financial resources can be
used to ensure the development of basic social infrastructure and services
(schools, health centers, etc.) both inside and outside the fishery sector.
There are three
levels of fish farmers: small-scale, emergent (smallholder), and commercial.
Small-scale fish farmers rely on family labour and practice extensive culture (ACF/FSRP, 2009) and Most of their aquaculture production comes
from breams which include (Tilapia) species (Oreochromis andersonii, Oreochromis macrochir, Oreochromis niloticus
and Tilapia rendalli). The breams mentioned above are cultured in Zambia
without difficulties. Oreochromis
niloticus is not indigenous specie but still it is cultured by most farmers
because of its favorable biological characteristics.
Fish, being a
“rich food for poor people”, it is also well placed to make an important
contribution to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the most obvious
contribution is in terms of food security and livelihoods, it also has an
important nutritional role in reducing child mortality, improving maternal
health, and combating HIV/ AIDS and other diseases. Aquaculture also
contributes indirectly to several of the other MDGs through improved
nutritional status and enhanced livelihoods, and to gender equality through
women’s fish-related livelihood activities.
This presents
immense investment opportunities as the government has stepped up efforts to
promote aquaculture as it believes that exploitation of opportunities in
aquaculture will reduce pressure on capture fisheries and provide opportunities
for increased incomes for the rural poor. Further, the development of
commercial-scale aquaculture will contribute positively to economic growth.
Some Specific
actions that can be done to enhance the sector’s contributions to national
economy could include:
• strengthening
the organizational capacities and participation of fishing communities in the
policy formulation and implementation processes;
• assisting
small-scale producers to access both national and international markets;
• addressing
factors that make small-scale fisher folk vulnerable and currently reduce their
capacity to contribute to poverty reduction and participate in resource management
and fisheries policy making.
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