By KENNEDY MUPESENI –

ZAMBIA and Africa in general should develop the fish industry to reduce dependence on copper and other export minerals, the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said.

FAO senior Aquaculture officer Doris Soto said the aquaculture industry should be developed to reduce high dependence on minerals and improving food security.

She was speaking during a presentation at the ongoing New Economic Partnership for African Development(NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency- Food and Agriculture Organisation (NEPAD Agency-FAO) workshop on developing aquaculture as a business within an ecosystem approach to the sector in Lusaka yesterday.

“The fish industry has got a lot of potential in terms of increasing traditional exports of the African countries that is the reason why there is need for countries to position themselves to tap the potential of the industry by increasing production of fish,” Ms Soto said.

At the same function Global Solution Initiative (GSI) director Arturo Clement from Chile urged African countries to invest in research and development for aquaculture industry to develop.

“Chile invested heavily in research development for the fish industry that is the reason why it has developed the industry and Zambia as well as other African countries should do the same,” Mr Clement said.

He said most of the countries had a huge local market for fish which could encourage the growth of the subsector if well developed.

Mr Clement said Chile produced fish beyond consumption and that, it depended on exports, saying the country produces over 700,000 tonnes of fish while consumption stands at 2,000 tonnes of fish.