Kazungula district is among the districts affected by high levels of malnutrition. The fact of malnutrition is rife in children, lactating women, pregnant women, and adolescent girls and boys. In order to curb the problem of malnutrition at household level, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock with support from UNICEF embarked on an exercise to restock district dams with fingerlings. The main purpose of restocking the dams with fingerlings was to help households improve their diet and increase their income levels in the long run. The restocking exercise, which took place on Thursday 9th December 2021 started with the collection of fingerlings at Clipper line fish farm in Kazungula District along the Livingstone Kazungula Road. A total number of ten thousand (10, 000) fingerlings of Oreochromis niloticus species was purchased and an additional eight hundred (800) fingerlings was given as a supplement, thus bringing the total to ten thousand eight hundred (10, 800) fingerlings that were collected.
The restocking exercise included restocking of two (2) dams in Sikalongo Ward, (2) dams in Macha Ward, (1) dam in Chilalantambo Ward, (2) dams in Siasikabole Ward and two dams in Singani Ward. Cumulatively, a total of nine (9) dams in five (5) wards were restocked with One Thousand Two Hundred fingerlings (1,200) each. The fingerlings will be cultured for 6 – 8 months before the first harvesting can start. This will increase fish production, fish consumption, reduce income poverty and bring about women’s empowerment.
The dam management committees have been formed by the communities involved and were oriented on the objectives of the project by the department of fisheries focusing on their roles and responsibilities. The committees will work hand in hand with the WNCCs. As the project is implemented, the Fisheries Department will closely monitor the activities in the dams and render timely advice whenever it will be needed.
