Officials call on Zambia and Zimbabwe to harmonize Lake Kariba fishery management policies

Lake Kariba, the world's largest artificial lake and reservoir by volume, is facing challenges of overfishing and climate change, impacting fish stocks. To address these issues, Zimbabwe's Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Production, Milton Makumbe, has suggested harmonizing policies between Zambia and Zimbabwe on managing the lake's fishery and increasing aquaculture operations. Makumbe made these recommendations during a workshop in Siavonga, Zambia, with support from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. The countries have a protocol for economic and technical cooperation but have not yet implemented it effectively.

Fish stocks in Africa’s Lake Kariba, which include tilapia, bream, catfish, and more, currently suffer from overfishing and increasing pressures from climate change.To alleviate the pressing issue, Zambia and Zimbabwe need to harmonize their respective policies on managing the lake’s fishery and push for more aquaculture operations to ease the strain currently placed on wild stocks, according to Zimbabwe Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Production Milton Makumbe.“We need to introduce aquaculture into our communities to lessen the pressure on our shared water resource,” Makumbe said.Lake Kariba, which is the world's largest artificial lake and reservoir by volume, straddles the border between the two southern African nations, and as a trans-boundary resource, Makumbe called for Zambia and Zimbabwe to develop similar policy guidelines during a recent workshop held in Siavonga, Zambia, with the support of the United ...