Govt, Buy Zim hold first fisheries sector Indaba

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development will this week host the inaugural Fisheries Value Chain Indaba in collaboration with Buy Zimbabwe.

To be held at the Andy Millar Hall, Exhibition Park in Harare, the indaba seeks to find ways to grow local fish production from the current 26,231 metric tonnes per year to 35 697 metric tonnes by 2025.

The drive is in tandem with the Agriculture, Food Systems, and Rural Transformation Strategy (AFSRTS), which seeks to transform and sustain a viable agricultural sector for national food security, food sovereignty and economic development.

Local fish production relies on freshwater capture and aquaculture, making it an integral component of Zimbabwe’s agricultural and rural farming landscape.

A review of the industry by scholars Nyasha Mabika and Beaven Utete shows that Zimbabwe has a relatively developed aquaculture sector and has been one of the top 10 fish-farming countries in Sub-Saharan Africa for the last decade.

The national potential demand for fish is estimated at 60 000 metric tonnes per year while the total production is approximately 25 000 tonnes.

There estimated deficit of 35 000 tonnes is met through imports.

According to Buy Zimbabwe, the main challenges in the fisheries value chain include the Value Added Tax on fish, the cost of fish feed, as well as lease and harvest fees charged by key stakeholders in the fish industry.

In a statement, Buy Zimbabwe general manager Alois Burutsa said the conference aimed to delineate a course of action and chart a growth path for the sector for the fishing industry, which is currently confronted by several challenges.

“The Indaba seeks to map a way forward for the fish industry which is facing a number of challenges that include the introduction of the standard VAT rating of fish which was previously zero-rated.

Large producers have also been affected by the value chain measures limiting non-tax-compliant traders, especially informal traders from buying in bulk.

“The US$1000 monthly purchase cap on non-tax compliant businesses and informal traders has impacted negatively on the distribution chain of big producers while producers are also concerned by the high price of fish feed,” said Mr Burutsa.

He said members of the fish industry had raised concerns about the high lease fees, harvest fees, and cheap imports.

These fees are charged by the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority for carrying out fishing activities on Lake Kariba, which is the primary source of freshwater fish in Zimbabwe. Due to these concerns, they felt it was necessary to convene a meeting to address the numerous challenges.“

As Buy Zimbabwe we note that while the government has underscored the key role of fisheries in rural development, no forum has been dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by the fish industry to ensure sustainable growth, hence we partnered with the Ministry of Lands.

Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to host the indaba,” he added. Aquaculture in Zimbabwe plays a vital role in the country’s food security, economic development, and rural livelihoods.-herald