Zambia is undertaking a revision of its fisheries and aquaculture policy to boost national production, reduce its trade deficit, and align with continental and global strategies. This initiative aims to transform the sector to make it more sustainable and resilient in the face of climate challenges.
Objectives and Challenges of the Reform
The revision of Zambia’s fisheries policy pursues a dual ambition: significantly increasing production and ensuring sustainable resource management. The country aims to raise its annual fish production to 225,000 tonnes by 2026. To achieve this, it plans to increase fingerling production from the current 433.4 million to 460 million by 2025.
This increase is crucial to reduce the national fisheries deficit, which stood at 74,000 metric tonnes in 2023 and which the government seeks to lower to 51,000 metric tonnes. The aquaculture sector already contributes to Zambia’s GDP, accounting for 3.2% according to WorldFish and 2% according to the FAO. In 2023, Zambia imported 26,332 tonnes of fish valued at 40.442 million USD.
Continental Strategic alignment
This reform is being carried out in collaboration with the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and Zambia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. It represents a key step in implementing the African Union’s Policy Framework and Reform Strategy (PFRS) for fisheries and aquaculture.
The PFRS, launched in 2010 by the Conference of African Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture, provides a roadmap for sustainable governance, strengthened institutional frameworks, and climate resilience in Africa’s fisheries sector. Zambia is the 16th country to receive support from AU-IBAR in this process. Harmonizing national legislation with these frameworks is considered essential for long-term policy coherence.
Measures and perspectives
To achieve these objectives, several measures are planned:
Improving monitoring
Surveillance systems
Deploying three new hatcheries in the Kasempa, Mushindamo, and Samfya aquaculture parks. Integrating climate-smart strategies into investment planning. Recommending legal and institutional reforms for sustainable fisheries management. National stakeholders, including government officials, regional organizations, researchers, and consultants, met in Lusaka to review the results of the national consultations and develop concrete policy recommendations. The workshop also aimed to identify gaps in Zambia’s national frameworks.
