Melo News | Tuesday, June 4, 2024 | Chipata
Farmers in Mambwe district in the Eastern Province have been encouraged to also venture into fish farming aside from crop farming as it is a good income generating activity.
Mambwe District Fisheries and Livestock Coordinator Dr. Gloria Mulenga said some farmers who were empowered with fingerlings through the Zambia Aquaculture Entrepreneurship Development Project (ZAEDP) had profited from the empowerment.
Dr. Mulenga said one of the farmers who was empowered with 4000 fingerlings managed to harvest 342 kilograms of fish with an average weight of 278grams.
ZANIS reports that Dr. Mulenga said this during a senior management meeting.
Dr. Mulenga said that officers were available to assist individual farmers who would want to venture into fish farming on what is required.
She further observed that there was a need for a market for pond liners in the district to promote aquaculture.
She also called on fishermen who were in the habit of using mosquito nets and monofilament nets when catching fish to desist from such practices.
Dr. Mulenga observed that there was a need to conduct sensitisation meetings on the negative effects of using mosquito nets and monofilament nets when catching fish.
She also called for collaboration between her department and the District Health Office whenever the latter was distributing mosquito nets as most community members were selling mosquito nets to fishermen once they were given instead of using them for the intended purpose.
