Zambezi Bream Becoming Scarce in the Region's Rivers
A report from the Zambezi Regional Council warns that overfishing has led to a drastic decline in Zambezi bream and tilapia populations. Officials are calling for immediate restocking efforts and stricter enforcement of fishing seasons to prevent total depletion within five years.
Why it matters
The depletion of local fish stocks threatens both regional food security and the economic livelihoods of communities dependent on river ecosystems.
Assessment done on the streams of the Zambezi rivers has revealed the depletion of Zambezi bream and other fish species in the region’s river systems.
It has resulted in a call to restock fingerlings for the bream and tilapia species.
This was revealed in the Zambezi Regional Council Annual Report, which was recently released by Parliament.
The report has detailed the regional achievements, challenges faced, recommendations, and plans during the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
The Zambezi bream is one of the inland fish caught in the shared (Angola, Namibia and Zambia) rivers of the Kavango and Zambezi.
The fish has evolved over the years from being just a regional delicacy to a nationally sought after fish with commercial value and features on affluent restaurant menus.
The Zambezi Regional Council, through the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, conducted a study on the regional river systems.
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