In a sigh of relief for consumers, the price of kapenta fish, commonly known as matemba, took a 14 percent drop from US$44 per 20 litre bucket a week ago to US$38, a result of increased imports from Mozambique.
This was disclosed by Knowledge Transfer Africa (KTA) chief executive Dr Charles Dhewa in a recent trade update on mass markets.
Dr Dhewa said: "The price of kapenta fish on the Mbare market has slightly decreased from US$44 to US$38 per 20 litre bucket due to an increase in the import of the fish from Mozambique."
Kapenta fish, a popular delicacy in the local market, has maintained a stable price range over the past months making it a reliable choice for consumers. However, the importation of kapenta fish has disrupted the equilibrium leading to a decline in prices as supply has been increased.
While consumers are enjoying the availability of kapenta fish in the market, local kapenta fish producers and traders are grappling with the impact on their businesses. The decline in prices for kapenta fish has affected their profit margins necessitating adjustments in their pricing strategies and overall market positioning.
"As the market continues to adapt to the changing preferences of consumers it remains to be seen how the kapenta fish industry will respond to the increased competition from imports. The situation calls for a delicate balance between embracing new opportunities and protecting the interests of local producers and traders," he added.
Statistics released by the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development show that the kapenta fish industry suffered the decline in the population between 2017 and 2022 due to overfishing.
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Meanwhile, Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Production department director Mr Milton Makumbe said the industry was not being properly regulated leading to overfishing and the disruption of breeding processes, as some fishermen were encroaching into the breeding areas.
He said overfishing was happening even in the breeding season with fishermen taking their activities to shallow waters where they are not allowed to fish.
There is supposed to be a resting period for the kapenta, which is not happening leading to depletion in fish stocks and people without permits are also coming with their vessels and come out with large tonnages, he observed.
Mr Makumbe explained that Government had since signed a regional charter that was already deployed and enforced from April 8 last year.
"This will operate in water-shared bodies and might see the tracker being put on a rig. The tracker is able to identify and monitor the volumes of the kapenta catches before and after conducting catches.
"It monitors activities in the shared water bodies where sometimes there is no jurisdiction to say this is Zimbabwean water or this is now Zambian water and you find out that theoretically when there are supposed to be 20 rigs only, there will be about 50 or 60 that are coming in and taking the same kapenta," he explained.
Government is also employing the vessel monitoring systems (VMS) where each rig is expected to be fitted with one for easy monitoring of the activities of people in the waters.
"This is the monitoring, control and surveillance charter, which will be based in Maputo, Mozambique to observe vessels that are both on Zimbabwe and Zambian waters so that there is a bit of control," he said.
