19 May 2024

Though the livestock sub-sector has been the predominant sector amongst Batswana, the government has recognised that fish farming also has the potential to bring diversity and enhance food security.

The current estimates show that the local fish production stood at 550 tonnes per annum against a national demand of 5 000 tonnes per annum translating to a shortfall of 4 500 which is met through imports.

To address this challenge,  government through the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has come up with a five year National Aquaculture trategy of 2021-2026 to grow the aquaculture industry by providing a roadmap for the sustainable development and management of aquaculture and inland fisheries.

“Our country may be landlocked but it is rich with inland fisheries,” said the Deputy Permanent Secretary responsible for Aquaculture and Apiculture under the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Ghulam Kibria in an interview.

One of the areas that his ministry was looking into, he said was the establishment of fish farms, adding that the ministry was yet to engage a consultant to conduct a feasibility study for fish farms and shed some light on the kind of fish farms to be established.

Once the exercise has been completed, the MoA will then be in a position to engage an investor to help establish the fish farm to grow the fish industry.

Mr Kibria further explained that the ministry had two priorities this financial year one of them being to identify aquaculture development zone in the SPEDU area, Okavango and Chobe areas based on soil, water, electricity and environment.

The second priority, he said included the establishment of fish hatchery in the Okavango area to augment the one at Mmadinare to help increase the production of fingerlings for fish farmers as well as restocking the dams and rivers.

“With these interventions we can meet the 4450 tonnes shortfall. We also have two fish trucks with a capacity of one metric ton, thus can sell fish in various parts of the country.”

Mr Kibria also emphasised on the need process the local fish and capacitate farmers to smoke and can the fish adding “there is no need for us to rely on other countries for canned fish.”

Principal Scientific Officer responsible for Mmadinare Fish Hatchery Mr Montshwari Molefe urged Batswana interested in venturing into fish farming to visit the hatchery to get firsthand information on fish farming.

He said fish farming was still an untapped market that farmers could explore as an income generating stream.

The fish hatchery facility in Mmadinare existed to supply fingerlings to farmers and stocking community dams and acted as fisheries research and development facility. ENDs