This Act makes provision with respect to the conservation and management of fish resources of Zambia and the protection of fish. It also establishes the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Fund and provides with respect to diseases affecting fish, aquaculture and importation and exportation of fish.
The Public Service Commission shall appoint, as public officers, a Director, a Deputy Director, fisheries officers and such other staff, for the Department within the Ministry responsible for fisheries development, as shall be necessary for the proper administration of this Act. The Director shall be responsible for the administration of this Act and the exercise of the Department’s functions as provided under this Act. The Act defines functions of the Department and of the Director and powers of authorised officers. In exercising powers the Minister, Director or delegated persons shall have regard to general principles of management as set out in this Act.
As for the protection of fish, the Act, among other things: prohibits certain methods of fishing; prohibits anchoring of fish processing vessels that do not conform sanitary standards; empowers the Director to place restrictions on the introduction of fish and the Director and Minister to control introduction and spread of fish disease; requires an importer or exporter of fish to obtain a permit from the Director.
The Minister may, by Statutory Order, declare any area of water to be a fisheries management area for the management and sustainable utilization of such species of fish as may be specified in the Order. The Director shall, in consultation with the fisheries management committee appointed under this Act, prepare a fisheries management plan for the conservation and management of fish and the development of the fisheries management area. The Director may, under a fisheries management committee, appoint a zone and village fisheries management committee for the purpose of fisheries and aquaculture development in the area. The Minister may also declare Special Fishing Areas, Commercial Fishing Areas, and Fisheries Reserves, each of which shall have its own management and conservation regime. Commercial fishing boats shall be registered with the Director.
As for aquaculture, a licence shall be obtained from the Director and an environmental impact assessment conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Management Act, 2011. The Director shall, in consultation with a committee, prepare an Aquaculture Development Plan for the sustainable development of aquaculture in Zambia, for the approval of the Minister.