The government of Zimbabwe has concluded public consultations on a new bill seeking to streamline the regulation and management of the Southern African nation’s fisheries, as well as standardizing fish production and handling procedures in its aquaculture operations.

The Zimbabwean Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill – which is being promoted by the country’s Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development – proposes placing regulatory powers for fisheries and aquaculture solely under the ministry's Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Production Department, as opposed to the current arrangement where several agencies oversee the country’s fishing activities.

Consolidating fisheries and aquaculture management under a single department “will promote clarity, reduce bureaucracy, and enhance our ability to manage these critical resources sustainably,” Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director Milton Makumbe said.

Makumbe further explained that the bill seeks to address regulatory overlaps, such as several fee categories levied by different agencies, through the promulgation of “a single, coherent legal framework.”

“The bill will provide a sound and enabling legal framework, anchored on global best practices, to attract investors and promote long-term investments,” he said.

With the conclusion of public participation on the bill, Zimbabwean Parliament’s Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Rural Resettlement is expected to fine tune the document before handing it over to both Houses of Parliament for scrutiny and debate before a member vote.

If the bill gets parliament’s nod of approval, it is expected to be passed into an Act of Parliament by Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“We see such bills as essential elements for the transformation of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and to link it to the recent … blue economy drive, it’s a gamechanger,” Blessing Mapfumo, the executive officer of the African Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society told SeafoodSource.

Zimbabwe has received criticism in the past for its unorganized fishing regulations, which have caused overfishing of tilapia, bream, catfish, and more in Lake Kariba.

To alleviate the issue, Zimbabwe and neighboring Zambia have been called upon to harmonize their respective policies on managing the lake’s fishery in a similar fashion as the new bill is aiming to achieve.

Source - https://www.seafoodsource.com