Chingola — DURING his official opening of Parliament on Friday September 21, 2012, President Michael Sata made valid observations as regards depleting fish stocks in our rivers and lakes which is a worrisome situation. This situation calls for appropriate urgent measures to sustain fish production.

Fish is both a source of protein and employment. It fulfils physiological needs and to some extent promotes tourism. However, currently most of our rivers and lakes face fish depletion which is a worrisome situation.

This depletion can be blamed on bad fishing methods such as use of mosquito nets, fishing nets ideal for trapping very small fish, use of explosives and defying fish ban among others.

In this vein therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in line with President Sata's observations needs to conduct an inventory of fish population in these rivers and lakes such as Lake Mweru Wantipa, Lake Chifunabuli and Lake Bangweulu among others whose fish species have dwindled immensely thereby posing a serious economic threat to our great country, Zambia.