Kariba mayor defends UK supermarket fish imports from Zimbabwe

By Lance Guma
03 January 2007

The MDC Mayor of Kariba, John Houghton, has defended fish exports to British supermarket Waitrose by a local company in the area. He was responding to threats from activists in the UK who objected to the export of tilapia fillets when Zimbabwe is on the brink of starvation. Houghton said it was undeniable that millions of people are starving and food is scarce, but the problem he said is much deeper than that. The unemployment rate is around 85% and this made the bulk of the population extremely poor. Even those who are working are earning as little as 50 US cents per month.

Houghton argues that, ‘The export of the high grade fillets is beneficial to the local community of Kariba in that, as a by-product of the production of skinless and boneless fillets, the remainder of the fish is a highly sought after source of protein food that is available at an affordable price.’ The mayor says without the export market the cost of the whole fish would be beyond the locals and the fish farm would not remain in viable production. ‘We, the people of Kariba, on the shores of Lake Kariba, where the fish are farmed, are grateful to Waitrose for their contribution to our well-being,’ Houghton added.

Waitrose defended their imports saying the fish helped meet demand for white fish and spares endangered stocks of cod. They said they source the fish from a ‘fair trade’ supplier known as Lake Harvest which pays its workers more than the minimum wage. Newsreel spoke to Damien Legros, a director with Lake Harvest International in Luxembourg. He said the company was owned by 3 private firms - Takura Ventures (a local partner), High Wave from Mauritius and Comafin from South Africa.

Legros dismissed media speculation that the project included members of the ruling Zanu PF party. He says the project was started by the Commonwealth Development Corporation, as part of a venture to promote businesses in Africa.

Investigations into the ownership of Takura Ventures continue.