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Fish Tidings Newsletter - Issue 4
Aquaculture Zimbabwe Trust
September 23, 2011

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Integrated Agriculture Aquaculture For Sustainable Livelihoods (IAASL)

The communities of Masvingo and Chivi districts in the Masvingo province are set to immensely benefit from a Protracted Relief Program being rolled out by Aquaculture Zimbabwe for the first time at a scale never been witnessed in the countryside before. The project which started in September 2011 and will last for the next 12 months will surely mark a transformation in the way of life for hundreds of targeted households.

The chronic poor rural households in the two districts are marginalized by the fact that basic commodities in Zimbabwe are being sold in foreign currency, which they have no easy access to. For the rural poor in particular, food security will require increased food production, which relies on, among other factors, reliable and sustainable production systems that complement the multi-functionality of agriculture. There is a pressing need to introduce low cost freshwater aquaculture production systems to help rural communities' combat poverty while at the same time conserving their environments in a sound manner.

Poverty reduction, biodiversity and environmental sustainability cannot be separated. This is because there exist a threshold below which those failing the daily dilemma of survival become destructive to simply survive.The disadvantaged and vulnerable families in the two districts are living in abject poverty and squalor as agro-based livelihoods continue to be hampered by poor soil productivity and prevailing climatic conditions. Most of these families are living in close proximity to perennial communal water resources which are largely under utilised. Poverty stricken families, orphaned and vulnerable groups of people spend most of their time looking for food and doing menial jobs or 'maricho' (a form of cheap labour contracts).

There is also an urgent need to improve the dietary diversity and nutrition of the population already ravaged by the HIV/AIDS scourge, effectively translating to an improved life expectancy. Aquaculture Zimbabwe sees the need to develop SMEs in freshwater aquaculture and fisheries as an effective way to sustainably utilize water resources for economic benefits and enhanced multiple uses of the water resource to achieve the goal of sustainable livelihoods. It is critical that agriculture be executed as a multi-functional practice. Increased agricultural production should result in environmental security, social cohesion, gender equality, improved human health, respect for local, traditional knowledge and above all be part of the equation in the fight against HIV/AIDS. IAASL will integrate fish into existing agricultural activities.

Introducing freshwater aquaculture through an integrated agriculture aquaculture model will improve the province's per capita fish consumption and graduate hundreds of households from crippling poverty to decent income thresholds. The project is set to mark a special announcement to the policy makers and the relevant line stakeholders to change their mindsets and focus on streamlining the freshwater aquaculture and fisheries sector and recognise its potential impact on the gross domestic product.

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