Fisheries have long been an important part of the economy and cultural heritage in Zambia. It may be landlocked, but 20 percent of its land is covered by water. In total, about 45 percent of the water resources in southern Africa are found in Zambia, which plays a key role in fish trade in the region.
Zambia’s total fish production is just over 100,000 metric tons, of which about 85,000 metric tons comes from fisheries. The aquaculture sector, which is still in its infancy, contributes around 30,000 metric tons (27 percent of total fish production).
Fish consumption is low at 5.9 kg/person/year. The major cause of this low consumption is the lack of production, hence the need for increased efforts to farm fish. The fisheries sub-sector supports around 1,000,000 people in Zambia, with around 72,000 people working as fishers.
We are testing technologies that improve the productivity of fisheries and aquaculture and strengthen value chains to increase incomes of fish-dependent people in Zambia and throughout sub-Saharan Africa.