Zimbabwe and Zambia Tackle Lake Kariba Overfishing

Zimbabwe and Zambia's environment ministries have launched fresh negotiations to minimise overfishing and enhance fisheries management on Lake Kariba as part of efforts to promote resource conservation and sustainable usage on the world's biggest man-made lake and reservoir by volume.

The key issues covered were the problem of overfishing, which is harming the two countries' fisheries.

Small-scale fish operators from both nations were violating bilateral agreements signed in 2014.

A technical committee on the development and management of Lake Kariba's fisheries and aquaculture advised that Zimbabwe and Zambia decrease the number of fishing rigs operating in the lake to secure the industry's sustainability.

The governments had agreed on the amount of rigs that each country may deploy on Lake Kariba, with the 500 sustainable maximum shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe, with Zambia hosting 225 and Zimbabwe hosting 275.

The small excess allotted to Zimbabwe is due to the fact that the majority of the huge eastern basin on Lake Kariba is on the Zimbabwean side.

Small-scale fisheries are important in improving lives, producing jobs, and contributing to food security in both Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Both nations' fishing communities rely heavily on natural resources that are vulnerable to climate change. This is why it was critical that both nations reach an agreement to continue using the resource.