Anti-poaching drive gets speed boats boost
The Herald
From George Maponga in Masvingo
Government has been urged to avail at least five speed boats to help combat rampant fish poaching at Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in Chivi. Illegal fishing is threatening to derail the State-driven Command Fisheries Programme. Tugwi-Mukosi is currently the main breeding centre for fish that will be harvested and distributed across the province for the Command Fisheries programme which is expected to benefit many communities in Masvingo.
Masvingo has the highest number of dams in the country.
However, there are fears that more than 200 000 fingerlings that were stocked in the dam by Government last year under Command Fisheries might not yield the intended results owing to rampant poaching.
Fish poaching has led to the creation of a thriving market for fish illegally harvested from the dam by poachers.
Government reacted by deploying joint patrol teams from the Zimbabwe Republic Police and rangers from Zimparks.
However, efforts to curb poaching was being hampered by failure by anti-poaching teams to fully patrol the vast water reservoir.
Acting Police Officer Commanding Masvingo Assistant Commissioner Coneli Dube yesterday said they had requested Government to provide five boats to augment anti-poaching operations at Tugwi-Mukosi.
“We have submitted bids for at least five boats so that we can effectively police the vast Tugwi-Mukosi Dam to curb rampant poaching,” he said.
“It is our hope that if we get the five boats our anti-poaching operations will be enhanced. We have anti-poaching teams on the ground, but the dam is too big and boats will make it easier for our teams to carry out patrols.”
The Masvingo provincial police chief expressed optimism that the anti-poaching speed boats will soon be delivered.
“We are expecting to take delivery of the boats anytime from now, but currently our joint anti-poaching teams are busy on the ground dealing with poachers using resources at their disposal. We hope to win the war against poaching at Tugwi-Mukosi,” said Assistant Commissioner Dube.
Police and Zimparks rangers moved to Tugwi-Mukosi after Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Josaya Hungwe raised alarm over rampant poaching of fish at Zimbabwe’s largest inland dam.
Tugwi-Mukosi is billed to become a hub of a major fisheries industry thanks to the Command Fisheries programme, making the dam a key cog in the Masvingo provincial economy.