Zimbabwe Signs SADC Charter To Regulate Kapenta Industry
Zimbabwe has signed the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Fisheries Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) Charter, in a move aimed at safeguarding the future of the kapenta fishing industry at Lake Kariba and other inland water bodies.
By joining the initiative, Zimbabwe becomes the 13th country to commit to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a growing concern in the region.
The kapenta industry in Zimbabwe supports thousands of livelihoods and produces over 20,000 tonnes of fish annually.
However, overfishing and IUU practices have increasingly jeopardized the industry’s long-term sustainability.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka (via NewsDay):
Fish catches on Lake Kariba and other inland dams have been declining and the sizes of fish being caught are shrinking.
Effective regional coordination will improve the sustainable management of our fishery resources.
Motseki Hlatshwayo, Technical Adviser for Fisheries at the SADC Secretariat, said that IUU fishing costs the SADC region approximately US$400 million annually, “threatening fish stocks, markets, governance, and livelihoods.”
More: Pindula News
