Mysterious fish disease causes panic among fish farmers in Chitambo

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Mysterious fish disease causes panic among fish farmers in Chitambo

 

Chitambo September 12, 2014 ZANIS— A mysterious fish disease has hit  Chitambo District and several rivers and other water bodies have been affected.

This situation has caused alarm to fish farmers in the affected areas.

District Agricultural Coordinating Officer Katumwa Mutandi confirmed to ZANIS in an interview that rivers affected are Lulimala and Kasanama.

Mr Mutandi added that some water bodies around Chipyapya and Gibson areas near the Luapula River and other water bodies around Chikuni Park.

He said the fish is being affected with wounds whose cause is not known and that all types of fish are affected including the Bubble fish.

Mr Mutandi said the local people reported that the problem which they noticed over three weeks ago.

He said the problem has persisted and suspected the disesase could be based on a range of diseases from predatory chemical poisoning.

Mr Mutandi said fresh samples from the affected rivers have been collected and sent to the Fish Diseases Surveillance Centre in Chilanga to establish the cause of the disease.

He advised people to desist from consuming the fish until the cause is determined as health complications as a result of eating the fish are unknown.

Mr Mutandi further advised people travelling along the Tuta Road not buy any fish as their ignorance may be taken advantage.

And one fish farmer from Chipundu Fishing Camp MacGyver Mando said the problem becomes rampant when the water levels are low.

He said the problem started last month and has appealed to government through the Ministry of Agriculture to quickly curb the situation as fishing is the main source of income in the area.

And another fish farmer of Gibson Fishing camp Kamba Payi also appealed to government to assist in rectifying the situation as people are now shunning buying the fish in fear of their health.

He said relevant authorities should quickly release the results of the samples so that the cause is determined and rectified.

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