Viable solutions

But fish food is far from being the only obstacle hampering Zimbabwe’s aquaculture sector. As his understanding of local conditions grew deeper, Pan realized that tilapia - the main fish species being raised in the country - was not fully adapted to local natural conditions.

Indeed, tilapia is a tropical fish species used to living in waters above 18 degrees Celsius. But in the central and southern parts of the country, temperatures can fall below 10 degrees Celsius in winter, requiring the construction of greenhouses to cover the ponds, he explained.

“Why not simply try other species, more suited to local conditions? Carps, for example, have excellent resistance to cold weather and grow rapidly,” said Pan.

Introduced in Zimbabwe in 1986, carps have thrived in the wild. For the first time, a trial artificial reproduction project is planned for next year, with optimistic prospects for the future. Comments to lixiaoyu@chinafrica.cn