Fisheries have long been an important part of the economy and cultural heritage in landlocked Zambia, which has 20% of its land covered by water. In total, about 45% of the water resources in southern Africa are found in Zambia, with the country playing a key role in fish trade in the region.
The country’s total fish production is just over 100,000metric tons, of which around 85,000 metric tons comes from fisheries. The aquaculture sector, which is still in its infancy, contributes around 30,000 metric tons (27% of total fish production).
Fish consumption is low at 5.9 kg/person/year. The major cause of low fish consumption is lack of production, hence the need for increased efforts to farm fish. The fisheries sub-sector supports around1,000,000 people in Zambia, with around 72,000 people working as fishers.