By Maricho Reporter
GOVERNMENT, through the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, has commenced consultations on the new Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, a comprehensive piece of legislation that is expected to provide for sustainable management, utilization, development, regulation, and financing of the fisheries and aquaculture sub sector.
Currently, there is no specific legislation that is directed towards the enhancement of fish production to the full potential as stated above. The current legislative provisions predominately centre on conservation issues, according to Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka.
Minister Masuka was addressing a Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill Consultations in Nyanga, Monday.
He said there is high cost of production driven by an inadequate regulatory and policy framework to attract large scale investment in the sector.
“There is no standardisation of fish production and handling methods resulting in unpredictable and inconsistent quality of the product. There is currently a fragmented approach by key players in the fish production value chain resulting in barriers of entry for new players and potential double or triple levying of already existent players.
“There are no legislative guidelines that speak to safe production methods and postharvest handling that ensures compliance with national and internationally recognized Food Safety Standards,” Minister Masuka said.
PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE INTERVENTIONS
The solution to the challenges lies in the enactment of a comprehensive piece of legislation that provides for sustainable management, utilization, development, regulation, and financing of the fisheries and aquaculture sub sector.
The proposed legislation is aimed at
- Providing for the control and regulation of all fisheries and aquaculture activities and practices, this will be done in an integrated manner to achieve sustainable, economic, social, and environmental benefits.
- Creating a fisheries and aquaculture directorate for the effective management of the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector through well-defined structures and linkages with the relevant stakeholders.
- Promoting the efficient administration management and co-ordination of fisheries and aquaculture at a local level through the establishment of fisheries committees.
- By providing legislative mechanisms for disease and aquatic weed management.
- Promoting and providing guidance for public participation in the management of fisheries and aquaculture resources and also the promotion of Public Private Partnerships in fish production, value addition and marketing.
- Guaranteeing the quality and safety of fish and fish products including genetic selection, bio safety and bio security.
- Providing for the establishment of standards in fish production to be used to regulate retailer product quality.
- Promoting competitiveness within the sector in the diversification of fish and fish products.
- Promoting research-based decision making and sharing of information and data platform.
- Providing for the establishment of fisheries and aquaculture resources fund to be used to accelerate development in sector.
- Providing a predictable and justifiable licensing and levying framework.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Department Director Mr Milton Makumbe told the consultative meeting that the bill has been carefully designed to align with Zimbabwe’s key strategic pillars, including:
- The Agriculture, Food, and Rural Systems Transformation Strategy;
- The forthcoming Fisheries and Aquaculture Stand-Alone Act, which will introduce regulations for quality assurance; and
- The National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), particularly in food security and nutrition, where fisheries and aquaculture play a crucial role in providing affordable, high-quality protein and improving household livelihoods.
“Zimbabwe is endowed with over 10,000 dams, offering vast potential for fisheries and aquaculture development. If effectively utilized, these water bodies can significantly contribute to national food security, economic growth, and rural livelihoods.
“This Bill seeks to establish an enabling environment that maximizes the sustainable use of these resources, ensuring that aquaculture becomes a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy.
“Compared to other nations within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Zimbabwe lags behind in developing its fisheries and aquaculture industry. Establishing a robust regulatory framework is therefore essential for fostering growth in this sector,” said Mr Makumbe.
The existing Parks and Wildlife Act contains legal provisions governing the fisheries sector but primarily focuses on the conservation of aquatic life rather than its utilization for economic and nutritional benefits.
The Act will, among other things, provide for an integrated management of the fisheries and aquaculture sub sector while at the same time facilitating the achievement of sustainable increase to economic, social and environmental benefits to fisheries.
It will also create the fisheries and aquaculture resource directorate whose job will be to primarily provide for the regulation of farming, rearing, capture, processing and marketing of fish through licensing and authorisation (control and regulation) of fisheries and aquaculture production.
More consultations will be held in Kariba and Bulawayo over the coming weeks.
