1. Fish research 

ZPWMA is mainly in charge of fisheries research and management within the Parks Estate. 

Fisheries Research Station: Lake Kariba, Lake Chivero, Sebakwe, Mutirikwi, Nyanga, and Matobo.

Aquaculture Research Station: Lake Chivero and Lake Mutirikwi. 

Breeding: Nyanga Research Station breeds trout for stocking in dams and nearby rivers.  

Nutrition: Research focuses on trout production.  

Health: Studies ensure disease prevention and overall fish well-being, especially for trout.

2. Fisheries development and Production

Notable water bodies for fisheries development: Lake Kariba, Lake Chivero, Lake Manyame, and Lake Mutirikwi.

Government Initiative for management of fisheries: The Parks and Wildlife Act 

3. Regulations, governance, and monitoring of aquatic resources outside the Parks Estate

ZPWMA controls aquatic resources and tracks native and rare fish species. The fisheries management checks include:  

• Regulating the business of catching and selling fish  
• Controlling fishing activities  
• Granting fishing permissions  
• Controlling the importation of live fish and fish ova  
• Managing the introduction of fish and aquatic growth into waters  
• Issuing permits for fishing-related businesses  
• Controlling the use of fishing nets  
• Authorizing fishing gear  
• Registering dealers and manufacturers of fishing nets  
• Overseeing fish and aquatic growth management  
• Regulating fishing methods  
• Addressing possession of illegally caught fish under the Parks and Wildlife Act 

The ZPWMA also licenses commercial fishing operations outside the Parks Estate.

4. Fish conservation:

The ZPWMA oversees the conservation of fish.

1. Fish research

Fisheries Research Institutes: Henderson and Makoholi Research Institutes in Mazowe and Masvingo, respectively. 

Key focus: 

• Sustainable fish nutrition  
• Integrating fish with livestock and crops  
• Enhancing fish growth physiologically  
• Breeding fry and fingerlings for stocking

2. Training

Partnering with DLPD, it trains fish farmers and other stakeholders, and also spreads research outputs

3. Fish Conservation

Conserve native fish species

1. Monitor Fisheries

Monitors and rates fishery projects

2. Training

Trains fishermen on sustainable misuse of fish from dams. 

Trains smallholder farmers on aquaculture.

3. Building Ponds: 

Constructs ponds for suitable fish species.

4. Dam stocking

Conducts dam stocking, restocking, and surveys to assess fish populations, sizes, and species composition.

5. Fisheries management in small dams

Works with RDCs to help communities manage fisheries in small dams.

1. Management at the local level

Rural District Councils are responsible for managing fisheries in their areas. The ZPWMA works with local authorities, like RDCs, when issuing fishing licenses.

• Focus on developing staff in fisheries through training programs.  
• Strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to improve expertise.  
• Equip extension staff to effectively share research findings.  
• Invest in training for fish farmers.

• Capitalize the cost of breeding stock at government institutions and research centers. 
• Develop farms to help farmers breed, select, and supply stock and fingerlings.

• Mainstream fisheries programs into national development plans.  
• Seek donor funding to supplement government resources.  

• Promote the use of GIS, Remote Sensing, and other conservation tools.

• Develop policies to improve access to loans, technology, services, and markets for small-scale fish farmers and cooperatives.

• Invest in training farmers in financial management and fish farming as a business.

• Encourage collective fish farming among small-scale farmers to produce home-based feeds.  
• Invest in commercial feeds.

• Include fisheries in international climate change strategies and support.

• Integrate fisheries into national policies addressing poverty, food security, and climate change adaptation.
  • Improve the quality and timeliness of meteorological data for smallholders.
  • Support research on sustainable technologies for climate change adaptation.
  • Combine scientific and indigenous knowledge in fish production.

• Create policies that support international markets.  

• Invest in institutions for technical expertise in fish processing, packaging, and marketing.  

• Improve access to credit for producers.

1. Conflict Between Traditional Leadership and Statutory Bodies in Natural Resource Management

• Creating Fisheries governance that will balance decision-making power among groups, considering socio-economic and political factors.  
• Establishing co-management, which will involve stakeholders in fisheries management, covering monitoring, law, policy, and planning, ensuring shared authority.  

• Decentralization can empower local institutions, with local leaders playing a key governance role.

2. Impact of Institutional Discoordination on Fisheries Governance

• Clarify institutional and ministerial roles in fisheries management.
• Enhance coordination and information sharing among government agencies.
• Allocate sufficient resources to enable departments to meet their objectives.

3. Impact of Overfishing and Population Growth on Zambezi River Fisheries

• Strengthen national institutions for fish conservation to prevent extinction.  
• Promote small-scale fish farming to reduce dependence on wild fisheries.  

• Provide fishing cooperatives with the proper tools and resources to support good practices.  
• Implement stricter fishing license rules based on area size and productivity.  
• Improve monitoring and assessment in lakes, dams, and rivers.  
• Increase public access to fisheries data.

4. Illegal Fishing

• Strengthen inter-agency cooperation to improve law enforcement in ZPWMA, ZRP, and ZDF.
• Strengthen bylaws at the district level to improve rule enforcement.
• Offer incentives to local communities to encourage responsible fisheries management.

5. Water Pollution 

• Implement stronger policies on chemical use and industrial waste disposal.
• Strengthen partnerships with international environmental conventions.
• Promote environmentally friendly industrial systems to lower water pollution.

6. Lack of public access to information on fisheries 

• Build a strong biodiversity observing and reporting system at all levels.
• Improve data collection methods by developing good biodiversity indicators.
• Encourage partnership and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, investors, researchers, extension service providers, and fishery-dependent communities.