National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy

NATIONAL FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE POLICY MINISTRY OF FISHERIES AND LIVESTOCK National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy NATIONAL FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE POLICY MARCH 2023 LUSAKA National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ......................................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...................................................................................................................................... iii WORKING DEFINITIONS .................................................................................................................................... iv ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................................................ v 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................. 2 2.1. Fish Production and Productivity ............................................................................................................ 2 2.1 .1 . Fish catches ............................................................................................................................................. 2 2.1.2.Aquaculture production and productivity ......................................................................................... 4 2.2. Fisheries and aquaculture extension delivery services ...................................................................... 5 2.3. Fisheries and Aquaculture Research and Development (R&D) ...................................................... 5 2.4. Market access and Linkages .................................................................................................................. 6 2.5. Biodiversity, Environmental and Ecological Risk .................................................................................. 6 2.6. Aquatic Animal Diseases ......................................................................................................................... 6 2.7. Private sector participation ..................................................................................................................... 7 2.8. Climate Change ........................................................................................................................................ 7 2. 9. Cross-cutting Issues .................................................................................................................................... 7 3. VISION, RATIONALE AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES ..................................................................................... 10 3.1 . Vision .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 3.2. Rationale ................................................................................................................................................... 1 O 3.3. Guiding Principles .................................................................................................................................... 10 4. POLICY OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES ...................................................................................................... 11 4.1 . Overall objective ..................................................................................................................................... 11 4.2. Objectives ................................................................................................................................................. 11 4.3. MEASURES .................................................................................................................................................. 12 5. IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................... 14 5.1. Institutional Arrangement ....................................................................................................................... 14 5.1 .1 .Line Ministries .......................................................................................................................................... 14 5.1.2.Training and Research Institutions ...................................................................................................... 15 5.1 .3. Private Sector ........................................................................................................................................ 15 5.1 .4. Fisheries and Aquaculture Organisations ........................................................................................ 15 5.1 .5. Traditional Leaders ............................................................................................................................... 16 5.1 .6. Development Partners ......................................................................................................................... 16 5.2. Legal Framework ..................................................................................................................................... 16 5.3. Resource Mobilisation and Financing ................................................................................................. 17 5.4. Monitoring and Evaluation .................................................................................................................... 18 1 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy FOREWORD The fisheries and aquaculture subsector is important for economic growth and development in Zambia. It contributes about 3.2 percent to the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides the mainstay to over one million people from capture fisheries in the country. Fish production continues to provide tremendous potential to contribute to economic growth due to the country's vast water resource endowment. While the demand for fish has increased over the years due to increased human population and lifestyle preferences, the supply of fish has not matched this increase in demand, resulting in a net fish deficit of about 74,000 Metric tonnes (Mt). To complement the supply from capture fisheries, government has been promoting aquaculture development which has been growing at a fast rate in the last decade. This has made Zambia one of the 10 top leading producers in Africa and fifth in Southern Africa. Associated with this growth are emerging issues such as aquatic animal diseases, environmental degradation, introduction and translocation of invasive species and climate change. Against this backdrop, Government has developed the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy (NFAP) to provide guidance on the implementation of fisheries and aquaculture programmes in Zambia. The Policy will lead to the transformation of the capture fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector which are key to boosting production and productivity in the agricultural sector. Through this transformation, the sub-sector will contribute to accelerating economic growth, ending hunger and malnutrition and improving household and national income through both domestic and international trade. Through this Policy, Government intends to transform and modernise the fisheries and aquaculture sub sector, focusing on increasing production and productivity in a sustainable and inclusive manner, in order to overcome the current fish deficit and make the country a net exporter of fish. In this way, the country will realise its aspiration of becoming a regional breadbasket, and increasing fish exports to the rest of the world. I, therefore, wish to call upon all stakeholders to support the implementation of this Policy and contribute towards achieving its vision. Hon. Makozo Chikote, MP MINISTER OF FISHERIES AND LIVESTOCK 11 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MFL) recognises the valuable contributions made by the Technical Working Committee that was constituted to develop this Policy. The Ministry is also grateful to the various stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture subsector for their invaluable support and contributions during the national and provincial consultative process. These stakeholders were from both the public and private institutions, provincial and district administration, Civil Society Organizations, traditional and political leadership, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources, Local Councils, Fisher Associations, Development Partners, the Academia, Input Providers, Research Institutions, Fishers and Fish Farmers. The consultative process was aimed at accommodating the views of various stakeholders at national, provincial, district and institutional levels in line with the principles of inclusiveness. Finally, I wish to thank the Development Partners who provided financial and technical assistance during the process of developing this Policy. It is my sincere hope that this Policy will serve as a blueprint to guide all stakeholders in the sector and contribute to the realization of Vision 2030. Dr. Anna C. Songolo Permanent Secretary MINISTRY OF FISHERIES AND LIVESTOCK 111 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy WORKING DEFINITIONS Aquaculture Aquaculture Park Capture Fisheries Co-management Fish Fishery Area Fish Catches Fish Deficit Fisheries Reserve Fish Stocks Invasive Species Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) Tra nslocation means the cultivation, propagation or farming of fish, aquatic vegetation, or other living aquatic resources whether from eggs, spawn, spat or seed or by rearing fish lawfully taken from the wild or lawfully imported into the country, or by other similar processes. means establishment of service centre as a way of stimulating growth of aquaculture within specific areas by bringing prerequisite services closer to the prospective fish farmers. means all kinds of harvesting of naturally occurring, living resources in both marine and fresh water environments. It involves transactions, aimed at generating earnings. means a process of management in which government shares power with resource users, with each given specific rights and responsibilities relating to information and decision making. means any vertebrate alive or dead and any part thereof, whether or not preserved in any form, and includes fin fish, shell fish, the young and eggs but does not include a genetically modified organism. means fisheries waters where fishing and aquaculture activities are conducted. means fish harvested from the natural water bodies. means the difference in measurement between fish production and consumption. means a prescribed area intended to support the reproduction and protection of fished aquatic species in the context of conservation of biodiversity and the development of sustainable management practices for halieutic resources. means a set of survivals of the fish at a certain instant or period of time. means an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area and has a potential to harm its new environment. means fishing that is contradictory to the legal conservation and management regulations. means movement of live species of fish either deliberate of accidental from one area or another by people. IV National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy ACRONYMS 8NDP AAH AHPZ BCM CEEC EUS FTI FISP IUU MFL NFAP SADC SNAP SWB TiLV Eighth National Development Plan Aquatic Animal Health Aquaculture High Potential Zones Billion Cubic Metres Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome Fisheries Training Institute Farmer Input Support Programme Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Southern African Development Community Second National Agricultural Policy Small Water Bodies Tilapia Lake Virus V National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 1. INTRODUCTION Zambia is richly endowed with natural resources which provides the foundation for economic growth and development. Over 60 percent of the population derives its livelihood from agriculture, yet the sector has not been fully exploited. Of this large component of the population, about one million people derive their livelihoods directly or indirectly, from the fisheries and aquaculture subsector and it provides one of the greatest potential for agricultural growth. With 23 million hectares of water in the form of rivers, lakes, wetlands and abundant land coupled with optimum weather conditions, Zambia provides an excellent opportunity for extensive freshwater fisheries and aquaculture development. The fisheries and aquaculture subsector has been identified as key in meeting the economic aspirations of the Government in achieving economic transformation and job creation. Despite Zambia being endowed with about 40 percent of the natural water bodies in Southern Africa, the performance of capture fisheries has been marginally increasing in the last decade due to over-exploitation and climate change. On the other hand, demand for fish has outstripped supply leading to an annual fish deficit of about 74,000 Metric tonnes. To complement production in capture fisheries, the Government has been promoting aquaculture, which has performed well in the last decade. The Government policy interventions in aquaculture have placed Zambia among the top ten (10) aquaculture producers in Africa. The fisheries and aquaculture subsector is strategic to agricultural transformation, food and nutrition security, employment creation, and a source of livelihood in riparian communities. Further, several emerging issues such as aquatic animal diseases, introduction and translocation of invasive species, increased demand for fish, and climate change have necessitated the need for a National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy (NFAP) in Zambia. The Policy, in Chapter One, outlines the importance of the fisheries and aquaculture sub­ sector and brings out the situation analysis of this sub-sector in Chapter Two by highlighting the gains made thus far as well as the challenges facing the sector. In Chapter Three, the Policy outlines the Vision and Guiding Principles and brings out the rationale for its development. Chapter Four brings out the objectives upon which the Policy has been premised and the measures through which these objectives will be achieved. The last Chapter, Chapter Five, outlines the implementation framework for the Policy. 1 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 2. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS The fisheries and aquaculture subsector contributes about 3.2 percent to the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides the mainstay to over one million people in Zambia. This places the sector at the centre of the diversification and transformation agenda for the Government as it provides tremendous potential to contribute to economic growth. While the demand for fish has increased over the years due to increased human population and lifestyle preferences, the supply of fish has not matched this increase in demand. This, coupled with a number of emerging issues has necessitated the development of this Policy. The situation analysis of the sector interrogates the status and performance of fisheries and aquaculture programmes in Zambia, in light of government interventions. It also conducts a gap analysis of the challenges of implementation of these interventions. During this analysis, seven key areas were identified and these were: fish production and productivity in capture fisheries and aquaculture, extension delivery services, research and development, market access and linkages, biodiversity, environmental and ecological risks, aquatic animal diseases, private sector participation and climate change. Further, analysis of the status of the following cross cutting issues was undertaken: land tenure, participation of vulnerable but viable groups, nutrition, human resource development, human diseases such as COVID 19, HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Cholera. 2.1. Fish Production and Productivity Zambia has abundant fisheries resources from three major river basins, the Zambezi, Luapula and Congo. The country is classified as water rich when compared to most African countries with per capita renewable water resources availability of about 9,639m3 per year while the corresponding value for sub-Sahara Africa is 6,322.5 m3 per year. The actual renewable water resource in Zambia is 80.2 billion cubic metres (BCM) most of which is internally produced from the Zambezi, Kafue, Luangwa and Luapula river basins. Over four hundred fish species have been identified and documented from these water bodies, out of which more than 21 are commercially exploited. Fish production and productivity significantly falls short of the minimum required thresholds to deliver profitability, food security, nutritional needs, job creation and poverty reduction for fishers and aquaculture farmers. This is mainly attributed to the declining fish stocks due to over exploitation and unstainable fishing practices such as Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing, poor management of fish breeding areas, inadequate fisheries infrastructure and technology and weak co-management structures in riparian communities. 2.1.1. Fish catches Over the past 40 years, the total fish catches from capture fisheries have increased from circa 40,000 Mt to 90,000 Mt annually while the domestic per capita supply has decreased from 12 kg to less than 7 kg. This is attributed to an increase in demand for fish due to an increase in human population with an estimated growth rate of 3.2 percent per annum. 2 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy The main challenges faced in sustainable capture fisheries production and productivity can be categorised as follows: a) Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing Zambian fisheries are dominated by artisanal fishers whose fishing operations are predominantly gill netting and use of drag nets. Other fishing activities not fully exploited by the local citizenry are sport and ornamental fishing. However, there is low compliance to the fisheries regulations. IUU fishing has contributed to excessive exploitation of fisheries resources, thereby, threatening localized and endemic fish species. It has also been exacerbated by increase in demand for fish due to increased human population, open access to fishing, unemployment, and the commercialisation of fisheries resources. Despite fisheries resources being renewable, they are likely to be depleted if illegal vices remain unabated. Government is strengthening enforcement of regulations by undertaking regular patrols and sensitizing communities. The major constraints leading to IUU are inadequate awareness, weak regulatory framework, weak collaboration on the management of transboundary/shared fisheries resources, and inadequate and poorly managed fisheries protected areas/reserves. b) Management of fish breeding areas (Fisheries reserves) Out of the existing 11 commercial fishery areas, only five (5) fishery areas have been prescribed as fisheries reserves or fish protected areas. The lack of fisheries reserves has led to: low diversity of fish species, decreased catches and declining fish population. Government has identified potential breeding areas in major water bodies and is in the process of gazetting them. The major challenge is that there is low compliance due to inadequate enforcement personnel in the prescribed fishery areas. It is therefore imperative that fisheries reserves are gazetted and management strengthened in already gazetted areas. c) Fisheries Infrastructure and technology Fish and fish products utilization have been negatively affected by inadequate infrastructure such as; Landing sites, storage and freezing facilities, and fish processing plants amongst the artisanal fishers. Additionally, there is inadequate knowledge and access to modern and efficient fishing and fish processing technologies resulting in high post-harvest losses. To mitigate this deficiency, Government is promoting establishment of fisher groups, trainings and research. Despite these efforts, there has been inadequate funding, low private sector participation and investment. d) Fisheries Co-management Fisheries co-management is a mode of governance through which resource users and government share responsibilities and authority for the management of fishery resources, with support and assistance as needed from resource users, traditional leaders, other stakeholders, Development Partners, academic and research institutions. There are 3 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy inadequate and weak co-management structures in Zambia to support the management of fisheries resources. This is mainly attributed to the open access of the fisheries resource. Additionally, there is limited institutional capacity to facilitate for the establishment of common resources. The Government has provided legal framework to promote the establishment of co-management structures as well as capacity building of beneficiaries. However, there is need to provide more capacity building and resource mobilization to support the co-management structures. 2.1.2. Aquaculture production and productivity The main Aquaculture production facilities in the country are cages and ponds. However, there is a huge potential to produce fish from Small Water Bodies (SWB) especially in Southern and Eastern Provinces. Aquaculture production has increased from about 10,290 Metric Tonnes in 2010 to 63,418 Metric Tonnes in 2021. Despite the comparative advantages and efforts made so far, aquaculture has not been able to reach its full potential due to limited access to aquaculture inputs, affordable finance and extension services. The main challenges faced in the aquaculture production can be categorised as follows: a) Limited access to quality and affordable inputs There has been limited access to quality inputs such as; fingerlings, fish feed, and other aquaculture accessories by the small-scale fish farmers. Access to quality and affordable inputs especially in rural areas still remains an enormous challenge. In order to address this, Government has developed fingerlings and brood stock standards as well as promoting private sector participation in hatchery and nursery establishments. In addition, government is promoting the production of quality fish feed through private sector participation. However, one of the major challenges for most smallholder fish farmers is limited access to government subsidized inputs. To address this government is restructuring the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to broaden the scope. b) Limited access and high cost of financing Aquaculture is considered to be a high-risk business by most financial institutions. This has resulted in low accessibility to finances to venture into the aquaculture value chain. Where credit is available, the cost of borrowing is not affordable for the majority small scale value chain players. Government is working with Development Partners to access aquaculture funds through initiatives such as the Aquaculture Seed Fund under the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) and other similar initiatives. Further efforts are being made to engage financial institutions to provide affordable financing. However, the cost of capital remains high and there are still few financial institutions that are providing affordable financing. c) Illegal introduction and translocation of fish species There has been a growing trend of illegal introduction and translocation of exotic species such as Oreochromis niloticus (Nile Tilapia), Cherax quadricarinatus (Cray fish) and Cyprinus carpio (Carp fish). These exotic species once illegally introduced and translocated into 4 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy fishery areas, have the potential to erode the gene pool of indigenous species or disturb the natural habitat. Government has put in place measures to control the translocation of non-native fish species in the country. However, there is still inadequate enforcement of the regulations to curb illegal introduction and translocation of fish species. d) Aquaculture High Potential Zones (AHPZ) To enhance aquaculture production, Government developed the National Aquaculture Strategy which identified Aquaculture High Potential Zones (AHPZ} in Zambia. As a result of this strategy, five (5) Aquaculture parks were identified in Chipepo, Kafue, Kasempa, Samfya and Mungwi with the support of Development Partners. The Aquaculture Parks were established to stimulate growth of fish farmers within the identified areas by bringing prerequisite services closer to the prospective fish farmers. The key challenge in the development of Aquaculture Parks is the slow establishment, low private sector participation and lack of awareness by aquaculture farmers. 2.2. Fisheries and aquaculture extension delivery services Provision of extension services and access to appropriate technology is an integral part of Government agenda. To effectively provide extension services, Government has established fisheries camps in all fishery areas. However, extension services are mostly provided at district level due to inadequate staff in camps. The challenge of staffing levels is further complicated by the duo role of extension officers who also work as law enforcement officers. Further, with the growth of aquaculture, there is a need to enhance access to extension service delivery in predominantly aquaculture districts. Government efforts are complemented by Development Partners and the private sector. The emergence of private extension services providers has resulted into extension service messages and approaches that are not harmonised. Extension delivery is constrained mainly by the high fisher/fish farmer to extension officer ratio, weak extension-research linkages, low capacity of extension staff, absence of extension staff at camp level, inadequate infrastructure, poor utilisation of digital platforms, low adoption of technologies, and inadequate transport to effectively reach out to fishers and fish farmers. 2.3. Fisheries and Aquaculture Research and Development (R&D) Government has established eleven (11} capture fisheries and nine (9) aquaculture research stations to conduct research and development. Capture fisheries research stations conduct research in fish stock assessment, fishing gear technology, post-harvest studies and limnological studies while aquaculture research stations conduct research in fish genetics and breeding, fish nutrition, fish health and pond limnology among others. In addition, the private sector and academia continue to complement Government's efforts to conduct research. Notwithstanding these efforts, the key challenges are weak institutional capacity to conduct research, poor funding for research and development, limited private sector participation, inadequate infrastructure and weak research-extension linkages. 5 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 2.4. Market access and Linkages Government has been making efforts to link small scale fish farmers to markets. The existing challenge, however, has been limited access to market as "lead establishments" are major players in dictating the market prices of farmed fish. This has led to substantial losses, because small scale fish farmers are selling their fish at low prices after incurring a high cost of production. Similarly, imported fish is often sold at lower unit prices than domestically produced farmed fish, thus creating unfair competition on the market for the local producers. Apart from competition from the cheap imported fish, producers and traders are predisposed to high cost of production, low producer prices, customer turnout, sales, poor transport network, inadequate access to affordable credit and poorly developed value chain nodes. In addition, most small-scale fish producers lack the bargaining power due to inability to organise themselves through cooperatives and producer associations. 2.5. Biodiversity, Environmental and Ecological Risk Fresh water resources are critical habitats for fish. Increased fishing activities and aquaculture growth have led to environmental impacts such as: habitat loss, introduction of invasive aquatic fauna and flora, pollution, depletion of fish stocks, loss of indigenous fauna and flora and fish disease outbreaks. The consequence is economic losses to fishers, fish farmers and other players along the fish value chain. Government has put in place a legal framework to mitigate against environmental and ecological hazards impacting the fisheries and aquaculture subsector. In order to overcome these problems, community sensitization and awareness, and research in land use planning are being promoted. These efforts are being hampered by poor land and water use planning, inadequate environmental impact assessments, inadequate enforcement and poor biosecurity adherence. 2.6. Aquatic Animal Diseases Zambia reported the first outbreak of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) along the Zambezi river basin in Western Province in 2007. Since then the disease has spread to other fishery areas. There has also been an increasing number of mortalities attributed to Streptococcus and Lactococcus species. With increasing aquaculture production and increased imports, the country is at high risk of disease outbreaks such as Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV). To mitigate against this challenge, Government has developed an Aquatic Animal Health (AAH) Strategy which facilitates aquatic animal health services for optimal health, production and productivity. Nonetheless these efforts, have been constrained by lack of an established AAH function in the Ministry responsible for fisheries, poor uptake of appropriate biosecurity measures among fishers and fish farmers, climate change, and inadequate legal framework on aspects pertaining to AAH. 6 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 2.7. Private sector participation The participation of the private sector along the aquaculture value chain in areas such as fish feeds, hatchery, nursery, grow-out, processing and value addition have enhanced growth in the sub sector. The private sector has played a leading role in the establishment of fish feed plants, cage fish farming, fish processing facilities, markets and commercial fishing ventures. Government has been promoting private sector participation in the fisheries value chain by creating an enabling business environment. Nonetheless, low participation by the private sector in research and extension and financing remains a major challenge. 2.8. Climate Change Climate change is a threat to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development and has had a negative impact on production and productivity. These climatic effects on fish will have social and economic consequences for people dependent on fisheries and aquaculture. Government developed the National Climate Change Policy aimed at providing a framework for coordinating climate change programmes in order to ensure climate resilient for sustainable development. Adoption of climate smart initiatives are constrained by lack of awareness, limited technologies and lack of legal framework. 2. 9. Cross-cutting Issues The following are the main cross cutting issues affecting the fisheries and aquaculture sub sector: a) Land Tenure for Aquaculture production The customary land tenure system is prevalent in Zambia where authority to grant access to the land is vested in the traditional authority. Land for aquaculture production among smallholder farmers is mainly communal and it is being utilized without guaranteed security of tenure. To address this challenge, Government developed the Land Policy which addresses ambiguities in customary and statutory tenure systems, and large-scale land­ based investments. Despite these efforts, access to land is constrained by large areas required for establishing aquaculture enterprises, protracted procedures for its acquisition, low aquaculture potential in some areas, and low priority accorded to the allocation of land for aquaculture. b) Participation of vulnerable but viable groups Sustainable fisheries management and aquaculture production requires the inclusion and increased participation of youths, women, and differently-a bled persons in the aquaculture value chain. This will promote food and nutrition security, employment and income for vulnerable households. To enhance participation of these groups, the Government has developed the National Gender Policy which has a deliberate strategy to include youth, women and vulnerable groups in aquaculture interventions. Gender mainstreaming is however, constrained by limited land tenure for women, low awareness levels, cultural and traditional norms. 7 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy c) Human Resource Development Human Resource Development aims at developing and reviewing the fisheries development training programme to produce well-trained fisheries personnel. Government has established four (4) training institutions for fisheries and aquaculture. Further, the Government has partnered with the private sector to promote aquaculture incubation programmes aimed at mentoring and coaching incubates before receiving support from the Aquaculture Seed Funds. Despite these efforts fisheries training is constrained by inadequate infrastructure, training facilities and insufficient expertise. d) COVID 19, HIV/ AIDS, Malaria and Cholera The fisheries sub-sector supports around one Million people in Zambia, with more than 72,000 working as fishers. Prevalence of human diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Cholera has resulted in socio-economic impact which will lead to loss of source of livelihoods. Poor hygiene and sanitary conditions in most fishing areas has resulted in outbreaks of human diseases such as cholera and malaria leading to loss of productivity and in some cases, closure of fishing areas. Similarly, the ensuing poverty in fishing areas would make individuals and households more likely to experience acute stress and resort to risky coping strategies such as prostitution leading to an increase in cases of HIV/ AIDS. To mitigate the effects of these cross-cutting issues, Government has put in place National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Policy. The government is also sensitizing communities on the effects of these diseases. The advent of COVID 19 led to supply chain disruption leading to loss in production and productivity. The main constraints in prevention and control of human diseases include low compliance to health regulations, poor sanitary condition in fishing camps, inadequate health facilities, poor attitudes and lack of awareness of emerging diseases such as COVID 19. e) Mainstreaming Nutrition into fisheries and aquaculture Fish is considered as one of the important foods that could help reduce malnutrition levels in Zambia, particularly, for under five children. To this end, Government has placed the mainstreaming of nutrition into fisheries and aquaculture as one of the strategic objectives in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). The primary objective of investing in nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems is to ensure that acceptable, diverse, nutritious and safe foods, adequate to meet the dietary needs of people of all ages, are available and affordable at all times. Further, Zambia has prescribed to several international and regional calls for global recommendations for action to improve nutrition. This includes the Framework for Action (Ff A) of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) and at regional level. Zambia has prescribed to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Food and Nutrition Security Strategy. Despite these efforts, high malnutrition, stunting, wasting and 8 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy underweight among under five children remains a challenge particularly in rural parts of the country. 9 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 3. VISION, RATIONALE AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES 3.1. Vision "An efficient, competitive, sustainable and export - led fisheries and aquaculture su bsector." 3.2. Rationale Fisheries and aquaculture programmes have been implemented within the framework of the National Agricultural Policy (NAP 2011 - 2015) and the Second National Agricultural Policy (SNAP 2016 - 2020). However, the two policies did not effectively address the issues related to the coordination and regulation of the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sectors. Furthermore, the sub-sector is faced with emerging issues such as fish disease outbreaks, unsustainable fishing practices, impacts of environmental degradation and climate change. To address these challenges, Government developed the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy (NFAP) to provide a governing framework for the implementation of fisheries and aquaculture programmes in Zambia. This Policy will lead to a fisheries and aquaculture transformation which is key to boosting productivity and increasing fish production. Through this transformation the subsector will contribute to accelerating economic growth, ending hunger and malnutrition. The Policy will also be a building block for attaining the long-term Vision 2030. 3.3. Guiding Principles The Policy will be guided by the following principles: Equity and Equality The Government and other stakeholders will ensure that fisheries and aquaculture development programmes reach the poor and vulnerable households. Inclusiveness The Government and other stakeholders will ensure that citizens participate in fisheries and aquaculture development programmes. Indigenous The Government and other stakeholders will ensure the conservation Resources and utilisation of indigenous aquatic species. Morality and Ethics The Government and other stakeholders will ensure the provision of fisheries and aquaculture development programmes are conducted transparently and objectively. Multi-Sectoral The Government and other stakeholders will ensure that all sectors of Approach society participate in the implementation, review, monitoring, and evaluation of the Policy Sustainable The Government and other stakeholders will ensure fisheries and Development aquaculture development programmes are formulated and implemented without compromising the needs of future generations. 10 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 4. POLICY OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES 4.1. Overall objective The overall objective of this Policy is to transform the fisheries and aquaculture subsector in order to enhance sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development. 4.2. Objectives a) To promote sustainable fish production and productivity; b) To strengthen fisheries and aquaculture extension service delivery; c) To strengthen Research and Development (R&D) in Fisheries and Aquaculture; d) To enhance market linkages for fish and fish products; e) To improve and maintain Aquatic Animal Health; f) To prevent and mitigate environmental degradation; and g) To mainstream crosscutting issues in fisheries and aquaculture. 11 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 4.3. MEASURES Objective 1: To promote sustainable fish production and productivity Measures a) Promote the use of improved fingerlings and quality fish feeds; b) Facilitate provision of incentives in the production of quality inputs (mainly fingerlings, fish feed and water extraction equipment); c) Promote and facilitate access to fisheries and aquaculture financing; d) Promote establishment of aquaculture parks; e) Strengthen cooperation on the management of transboundary fisheries resources; f) Establish and strengthen management of fish protected areas/fisheries reserve; g) To deter and eliminate Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing; h) Facilitate the establishment of fisheries co-management structures; i) Promote investment in fisheries infrastructure and technologies; and j) Establish an enforcement unit for fisheries and aquaculture. Objective 2: To strengthen fisheries and aquaculture extension service delivery Measures a) Improve capacity of Fisheries Training Institutes (FTls) and Farmer Training Centres (FTCs); b) Strengthen the capacity of the extension staff; and c) Promotion of ICT platforms. Objective 3: To strengthen Research and Development (R&D) in Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture Measures a) Strengthen institutional capacity to undertake appropriate research; b) Enhance national, regional and international collaboration with training and research institutions; c) Strengthen capture fisheries and aquaculture research - extension linkages; d) Promote genetic resource improvement and conservation of Indigenous fish; e) Enhance private sector participation in capture fisheries and aquaculture research; and f) Strengthen fisheries monitoring. Objective 4: To enhance market access and linkages for fish and fish products Measures a) Promote out grower schemes for aquaculture producers; 12 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy b) Promote and facilitate establishment of aggregators and storage facilities; c) Promote organised fish markets; d) Improve input and output market for capture fisheries and aquaculture; and e) Promote the establishment of fish market linkages and distribution channels. Objective 5: To improve and maintain aquatic animal health Measures a) Enhance surveillance and early warning of aquatic animal diseases; b) Improve the AAH institutional capacity; and c) Promote appropriate biosecurity measures among fishers and fish farmers. Objective 6: To prevent and mitigate environmental degradation Measures a) Promote best management practices in aquaculture; b) Promote and strengthen capacity on land use and aquatic management practices; c) Promote awareness and sensitization programmes on economic values and importance of fresh water resources; and d) Promote integrated ecosystem management. Objective 7: To mainstream crosscutting issues in fisheries and aquaculture Measures a) Promote climate smart aquaculture and sustainable fisheries resources management; b) Advocate for improved land tenure for aquaculture production facilities; c) Enhance participation of vulnerable but viable groups {youth, women and persons with disabilities); d) Mainstream responses to COVID 19, HIV/ AIDS, TB, Malaria and other emerging human diseases; and e) Mainstream nutrition into fisheries and aquaculture. 13 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 5. IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK To achieve the policy objectives and measures set out in chapter 4, the Government has put in place an implementation framework. The Ministry responsible for fisheries and aquaculture will collaborate with other line ministries and stakeholders in the implementation of the Policy. 5.1. Institutional Arrangement Vertical and horizontal coordination among the key players in the fisheries and aquaculture subsector is essential for the successful implementation of the Policy. Therefore, the Ministry responsible for fisheries and aquaculture will ensure effective participation of all stakeholders at local, national, regional, and international levels. 5.1.1. Line Ministries The Ministry responsible for Fisheries and aquaculture will oversee and implement the Policy. It will ensure the provision of core public services such as capture fisheries and aquaculture development, fisheries extension services, fisheries and aquaculture research and development services, capture fisheries and aquaculture training, and aquatic animal health services control and maintenance. It will also provide policy direction and technical support on the implementation of the Policy to the Provincial and District administration. The Ministry will collaborate with other line Ministries in line with their mandate as outlined below: a) Cabinet Office. Ministry responsible for: b) Defence. To provide oversight on the implementation of the policy and decentralization. To facilitate national security for fisheries and aquaculture in shared waters. c) Home of Affairs and Internal Enforcement of the law in fisheries and aquaculture and to conduct joint Security. operation in inland patrols and operations. d) Foreign Affairs and To facilitate international cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture International Cooperation. programmes. e) Finance and National To facilitate and provide financial resources to enable successful Planning. implementation of the policy and to provides national statistics on fisheries f) Agriculture. g) Commerce Trade and Industry. and aquaculture. Collaborate in the provision of extension services, agribusiness development and other issues in the agricultural sector. To collaborate in fish trade facilitation, marketing, development of standards and investment promotion. h) Small and Enterprises. Medium To facilitate the mobilisation of cooperatives and support financing of fishers and fish farmers. i) Mines and Mineral To collaborate in water pollution and land use. development. j) Energy. k) Tourism and national parks. I) Transport and Logistics. Provide energy for the sector. Collaboration in fish protection, management and recreational fishing and angling. Collaboration on registration of maritime vessels and transportation of fisheries and aquaculture products. m) Infrastructure, Housing and Collaboration in construction of fisheries and aquaculture infrastructure. Urban Development. n) Lands and Natural Provide land for fisheries and aquaculture development. Resources. 14 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy o) Water Development and Sanitation. Collaboration in conservation and protection of water resources, protection of fish habitats and provision of water permits for aquaculture development. p) Green Economy Environment. and To facilitate adoption and mainstreaming of climate change and environmental management policy and regulations. q) Health. r) Information and Media. s) Education. t) Technology and Science. u) Local Government Traditional Affairs and Rural Development. v) Justice. w) Community Development and Social Services x) Youth, Sport and Arts. To collaborate in Nutrition public health, zoonoses and provide regulations in production of drug and vaccines. To collaborate in advocacy, inform and documenting information. Collaboration in training of fisheries and aquaculture and support curriculum revision. Collaboration in development of science and technology for fisheries and aquaculture. Provide for licensing and by-laws related to fisheries and aquaculture, reservation of indigenous knowledge and provision of land for aquaculture development in traditional areas. Drafting of legislation related to fisheries and aquaculture development. Mobilisation of vulnerable communities in fisheries and aquaculture development programmes. Mobilisation of youths in fisheries and aquaculture development programmes. 5.1.2. Training and Research Institutions The Ministry responsible for fisheries and aquaculture will strengthen collaboration with local, regional, and international training and research institutions. Effective implementation of this Policy requires that individual and institutional capacities of the various stakeholders in the sector are enhanced. To this end, curricula in schools, colleges and higher institutions of learning will be reviewed to contribute to the knowledge and life skills development of learners. Adoption of technologies and knowledge transfer, in-service training, study tours, and exchange visits by farmers, learners and experts will be promoted at local and international level. 5.1.3. Private Sector The Ministry will commit to creating an enabling business and investment climate for the private sector to thrive and to create opportunities for Private-Public Partnerships. Further, it recognizes the essential role played by the private sector to undertake investment in the fisheries and aquaculture value chain and will continue to support such initiatives for economic diversification and job creation. On the other hand, the private sector will be responsible for undertaking commercial activities such as production, processing, and marketing to develop fisheries and aquaculture and their value chains. 5.1.4. Fisheries and Aquaculture Organisations The Ministry will collaborate with Fisheries and Aquaculture Associations to regulate and promote fisheries and aquaculture development. It recognizes the support provided by such organizations through initiatives such as extension services, market linkages research, credit, and input supply channels for fisheries production and productivity. 15 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 5.1.5. Traditional Leaders The Ministry will collaborate with traditional leadership to promote fisheries and aquaculture development in their chiefdoms. It recognizes that traditional leaders are the custodians of customary law, traditional values, and norms that govern traditional societies such as chiefdoms and villages. 5.1.6. Development Partners The Ministry will continue to collaborate with Development Partners to achieve Sustainable Development Goal Number 1, 2, and 3 through the implementation of this Policy. It is expected that the Development Partners will continue to provide financial support and technical assistance. 5.2. Legal Framework The legal framework for the Policy is complemented among others by various Acts of Parliament which include the following: a) Food safety Act No. 7 of 2019: Provides for the protection of the public against health hazards and fraud in the manufacture, sale and use of food. b) Forestry Act No. 4 of 2015: Provides for the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Water Fowl Habitat, the Convention on Biological Diversity. c) The Zambia Wildlife Act No. 14 of 2015: Provides for the establishment, control and management of National Parks, bird and wildlife sanctuaries and for the conservation and enhancement of wildlife eco-systems, biological diversity, implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. d) The Fisheries Act No. 22 of 2011: Provides for the promotion of sustainable development of fisheries and a precautionary approach in fisheries management, conservation and utilization; regulation of commercial fishing and aquaculture. However, the Act needs to be amended to encompass the emerging issues such as climate change and environmental aspects, emergence of aquaculture diseases and regulation of aquaculture practitioners. e) The Water Resource Management Act No 21 of 2011: Provides for the Management, development, conservation, protection and preservation of the water resources and its ecosystem. 16 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy f) The Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011: Provides for integrated environmental management and the protection and conservation of the environment and the sustainable management and use of natural resources. g) Animal Health Act No. 27 of 2010: Provides for the prevention and control of animal diseases; the quarantine of animals; the regulation of the importation and exportation of animals, animal products, animal by-products, articles and animal feed; and the establishment of the Animal Disease Control Fund. h) Agricultural Credits Act No. 35 of 2010: Provides for the borrowing of money on the security of charges created on farming stock and other agricultural assets. i) Citizens Economic Empowerment Act No 9. of 2006: Provides for the establishment of the citizens' empowerment fund and promote the economic empowerment of targeted citizens. j) Lands Act No. 29 of 1995: Provides for the continuation of leaseholds and leasehold tenure; to provide for the continued vesting of land in the President and alienation of land by the President: to provide for the statutory recognition and continuation of customary tenure. k) Zambezi River Act No. 17 of 1987: Provides for certain requirements of an interstate agreement relating to the utilization of the Zambezi River concluded between the government of the Republic of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Policy will, therefore, be expected to be implemented within the context of other policies and laws that seek to promote fisheries and aquaculture development. 5.3. Resource Mobilisation and Financing Government will continue mobilizing resources with the support of Development Partners and other stakeholders for the implementation of the Policy. The implementation of the Policy will be funded from the following sources: a) Government annual budget; b) Private sector investment; c) Development Partners; and d) Non-state actors. The total cost of implementing activities for each policy objective in the Implementation plan is estimated at ZMW 648,133,909.42. The distribution of the total cost according to each policy objective is summarised in table 1 while annex 1 in the implementation plan outlines the implementation of activities over the period 2022 to 2026. 17 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 5.4. Monitoring and Evaluation The Policy will be used as a guide towards achieving the vision and mission of the Fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector in the country. The Ministry will conduct spot checks and joint annual reviews on the implementation of the Policy with key stakeholders to assess the progress made. The Ministry will also conduct a mid-term and a final review of the implementation of the Policy to assess the impact. 18 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock P.O. Box 50060 15100 Ridgeway Lusaka Tel: +260 211 251379 Website www.mfl.gov .zm Email : info@mfl.gov .zm Supported by