Chadiza farmers encouraged to go fish farming

—-Farmers of Chadiza district in Eastern Province have been urged to get involved in viable fish farming.

Chadiza District Fisheries Officer, Richard Hazunga, encouraged farmers to diversify into fish farming especially in the Red Breasted Breams which he said mature within six months.

Mr Hazunga told ZANIS in an interview that currently Chadiza district was bragging because of the 180 fish farmers that were available, adding that before Vubwi was declared a district the total number of fish farmers was not less than 250.

He disclosed that fish farming was profitable, particularly when the food supplements used involved locally available animal manure and vegetable matter, such as leaves of mulberry and bananas.

Mr Hazunga further discouraged farmers against rearing small types of fish like Matemba, adding that it was not economically viable because it fetches less money than the breams.

He said the barbell fish was also not good for farmers because it feeds on the breams and on its eggs in the dams, especially during the breeding season, which is between December and February.

The Fisheries Officer also disclosed that the Fisheries Department has put in place measures to ensure that people were sold fish that was well preserved.

He said some specialized officers have since been placed at border points, like Chanida border, to ensure that badly preserved fresh fish does not cross into Zambia.

Mr Hazunga said this to dispel people’s speculations that some traders from neighbouring countries were selling fresh fish that was preserved using chemicals that are found in mortuaries which are normally used in the preservation of corpses.