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Lake Kariba black market fish trade fuels illicit financial flow
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A booming black market fish trade along Lake Kariba, driven by the illegal use of cheap twine nets, is undermining Zimbabwe's formal fishing economy and fuelling millions of dollars in illicit financial flows (IFFs), according to conservationists, fishing cooperatives, and recent reports.
The lake, shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, has become a hotspot for cross-border poaching syndicates who evade taxes and regulations by exploiting Zimbabwean waters and smuggling fish—mainly kapenta and bream—through informal routes.
"Zambians cross into Zimbabwean waters, harvest fish, and then sell them in Zambia or informally reintroduce them into Zimbabwe—without any official record or tax payments," said Rob Stewart*, a conservationist based in the Zambezi Valley.
The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (Afrodad) links Lake Kariba's illegal fishing trade to wider IFFs, estimating US$11.3 million in losses dating back to 2013. The flows stem from under-invoicing of exports, unrecorded transactions, and the smuggling of poached fish, which bypasses customs, depriving Zimbabwe of vital foreign currency and tax revenues.
"Communities relying on legal fishing operations face food insecurity and falling incomes, while enforcement agencies are underfunded and overwhelmed," Afrodad stated in a report titled Illicit Financial Flows: Towards an Integrated Approach for Curbing Illicit Flows from Zimbabwe.
Globally, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is estimated to cost countries over US$50 billion annually, ranking it as the third most profitable natural resource crime after illegal logging and mining.
On May 21, four suspected Zambian poachers were arrested on the Mackenzie side of Lake Kariba with 20kg of fish, a banana boat, and over 2,200 metres of banned twine netting. Days later, a Kariba businesswoman was jailed for three months after police found 254 twine nets at her home in Chalala.
"These arrests barely scratch the surface of the scale of the trade," said Stewart, who recalled a tragic 2019 incident in which two Zimbabwean rangers—Timothy Tembo and Chidhumo Mabharani—were killed by suspected poachers near Spurning Island.
Modified banana boats, often armed and equipped to operate undetected at night, are frequently used by poaching crews. Some have been known to steal fish directly from licensed fishing rigs.
Fishing cooperatives say they are suffering. Petro Mangwaya, a veteran kapenta operator, said poachers are decimating fish stocks and pushing legal players out of business.
"They fish near Mica Point and Musambakaruma Island, then smuggle their hauls through Chirundu or other informal crossings. The catch is no longer enough to meet market demand," he said.
The Kapenta Producers Association estimates Zimbabwe is losing millions annually. "We've seen Zambian trucks leaving loaded with fish likely caught in Zimbabwean waters," said chairperson Tanga Kanhema.
The widespread use of the US dollar in Zimbabwe makes the black market even more attractive, incentivising smuggling and illegal transactions that escape formal channels.
While Zimra declined to comment directly on the scale of illegal fishing on Lake Kariba, it confirmed efforts to combat smuggling, including drone surveillance, roadblocks, and joint enforcement with other agencies. However, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, which oversees Lake Kariba, did not respond to inquiries.
A 2024 report by Zimbabwe's Financial Intelligence Unit found that 1,870 cases of illegal fishing were investigated last year, with 1,101 convictions, primarily for using banned nets, unauthorised boats, and poaching in restricted zones.
Still, conservationists warn that fragmented enforcement and lack of cross-border cooperation have made the lake a haven for illegal activities.
"The only way to stop this is through bilateral cooperation," said Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Natural Resources Governance. "We need real-time monitoring, clear boundaries, and joint patrols. Environmental crimes and illicit financial flows go hand in hand."
Fishing supports over 3,000 formal jobs in Zimbabwe, with at least 2,000 others benefiting indirectly through trade and logistics. With agriculture restricted around Kariba due to poor soil and climate, fishing remains the main livelihood for many.
Unless robust action is taken, observers warn that Lake Kariba could become a symbol of resource plunder and missed economic opportunity—where poachers thrive and the formal economy sinks beneath the surface.
•*Name changed to protect source
The lake, shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, has become a hotspot for cross-border poaching syndicates who evade taxes and regulations by exploiting Zimbabwean waters and smuggling fish—mainly kapenta and bream—through informal routes.
"Zambians cross into Zimbabwean waters, harvest fish, and then sell them in Zambia or informally reintroduce them into Zimbabwe—without any official record or tax payments," said Rob Stewart*, a conservationist based in the Zambezi Valley.
The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (Afrodad) links Lake Kariba's illegal fishing trade to wider IFFs, estimating US$11.3 million in losses dating back to 2013. The flows stem from under-invoicing of exports, unrecorded transactions, and the smuggling of poached fish, which bypasses customs, depriving Zimbabwe of vital foreign currency and tax revenues.
"Communities relying on legal fishing operations face food insecurity and falling incomes, while enforcement agencies are underfunded and overwhelmed," Afrodad stated in a report titled Illicit Financial Flows: Towards an Integrated Approach for Curbing Illicit Flows from Zimbabwe.
Globally, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is estimated to cost countries over US$50 billion annually, ranking it as the third most profitable natural resource crime after illegal logging and mining.
On May 21, four suspected Zambian poachers were arrested on the Mackenzie side of Lake Kariba with 20kg of fish, a banana boat, and over 2,200 metres of banned twine netting. Days later, a Kariba businesswoman was jailed for three months after police found 254 twine nets at her home in Chalala.
"These arrests barely scratch the surface of the scale of the trade," said Stewart, who recalled a tragic 2019 incident in which two Zimbabwean rangers—Timothy Tembo and Chidhumo Mabharani—were killed by suspected poachers near Spurning Island.
Modified banana boats, often armed and equipped to operate undetected at night, are frequently used by poaching crews. Some have been known to steal fish directly from licensed fishing rigs.
Fishing cooperatives say they are suffering. Petro Mangwaya, a veteran kapenta operator, said poachers are decimating fish stocks and pushing legal players out of business.
The Kapenta Producers Association estimates Zimbabwe is losing millions annually. "We've seen Zambian trucks leaving loaded with fish likely caught in Zimbabwean waters," said chairperson Tanga Kanhema.
The widespread use of the US dollar in Zimbabwe makes the black market even more attractive, incentivising smuggling and illegal transactions that escape formal channels.
While Zimra declined to comment directly on the scale of illegal fishing on Lake Kariba, it confirmed efforts to combat smuggling, including drone surveillance, roadblocks, and joint enforcement with other agencies. However, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, which oversees Lake Kariba, did not respond to inquiries.
A 2024 report by Zimbabwe's Financial Intelligence Unit found that 1,870 cases of illegal fishing were investigated last year, with 1,101 convictions, primarily for using banned nets, unauthorised boats, and poaching in restricted zones.
Still, conservationists warn that fragmented enforcement and lack of cross-border cooperation have made the lake a haven for illegal activities.
"The only way to stop this is through bilateral cooperation," said Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Natural Resources Governance. "We need real-time monitoring, clear boundaries, and joint patrols. Environmental crimes and illicit financial flows go hand in hand."
Fishing supports over 3,000 formal jobs in Zimbabwe, with at least 2,000 others benefiting indirectly through trade and logistics. With agriculture restricted around Kariba due to poor soil and climate, fishing remains the main livelihood for many.
Unless robust action is taken, observers warn that Lake Kariba could become a symbol of resource plunder and missed economic opportunity—where poachers thrive and the formal economy sinks beneath the surface.
•*Name changed to protect source
Source - The Standard
