https://www.linkedin.com/posts/conservezim-conservezim-402997277_zimbabwean-youths-urged-to-consider-aquaculture-activity-7293652037978718208-7y8-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop Zimbabwean Youths Urged to Consider Aquaculture John Cassim Stakeholders in Zimbabwe's aquaculture sector have expressed concern about the low participation of youths in the industry. A recent 2024 National Aquaculture Sector Survey revealed that most aqua farms are run by adults aged 41-60, with the 20-30 age group having the lowest representation across all provinces surveyed. Masvingo, Matabeleland North, and Midlands provinces showed the lowest youth participation, raising concerns about the sector's sustainability if younger generations do not become involved. The survey covered five provinces: Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, and Midlands. Midlands province had the highest youth representation (20-30 years old) at 6.3%, followed by Manicaland at 5.2%, Matabeleland South at 3.7%, and Masvingo at 3.5%. "It is concerning that Zimbabwean youths are still lagging in taking up aquaculture farming, despite its aggressive promotion in the country," said Mr. Milton Makumbe, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Production Department, during a validation workshop held in Kadoma this week. "Several factors have likely contributed to youths' lack of engagement in fish farming, including access to capital and land ownership. We hope to see a change as we extend the survey to all Mashonaland Provinces," Makumbe added. His remarks followed revelations that most fisheries were established within the past four years, ranging from 61.7% in Manicaland to 75.3% in Matabeleland North. Between 22.7% and 27.2% of fisheries were established 5-10 years ago, indicating steady growth before the recent expansion. The survey also noted that most fisheries in Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, and Midlands are family-owned. Matabeleland South stands out with 89.8% of ownership attributed to "Community Cooperatives," demonstrating a preference for collective farming in that region. "Other factors hindering youth participation include our culture, which often ascribes ownership of family-owned projects to the male head of the family," Makumbe stressed. "This has resulted in few women being recorded as owners of aquaculture projects, even though women participate more in aquaculture training." This cultural aspect is further supported by the fact that most aquafarms rely on borehole water, except in Manicaland, where river water is more common. Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expressed satisfaction with the rapid growth of aquaculture and its potential to engage everyone, including youth. "One advantage of fish farming is that it can be scaled up, unlike capture fisheries," said Paul Paul Mwera, FAO fisheries expert. "Aquaculture production is increasing every year." The aquaculture survey was conducted to map the spatial distribution of aquaculture activities, particularly small-scale operations, and assess production intensity.