A flourishing black-market fish trade driven by cheap twine nets is undermining Zimbabwe’s fishing economy and fuelling illicit financial flows (IFFs) along the country’s border with Zambia.
Conservationists and local fishing cooperatives claim that cross-border syndicates are depleting Lake Kariba’s fish stock, evading tax systems, and siphoning millions of dollars out of the formal economy.
The growing use of inexpensive, highly effective twine nets by poachers — mainly from neighbouring Zambia — has intensified illegal fishing on the Zimbabwean side of Lake Kariba, a shared water body straddling Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Poachers target kapenta and bream, hauling hundreds of kilogrammes each night and smuggling them across borders through informal routes.
This illegal trade bypasses customs declarations, tax collection, and regulatory oversight, resulting in unrecorded cross-border financial transactions.
According to Global Financial Integrity, a Washington, DC-based think tank, IFFs—referring to illegal movements of money or capital from one country to another—often occur through trade misinvoicing, smuggling, and unregulated cross-border activities.
In the case of Lake Kariba, IFFs arise when fish caught illegally are exported or sold without documentation, depriving Zimbabwe of valuable tax revenues and foreign currency.
These flows weaken government institutions, drain public resources, and distort the formal economy.
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Communities that rely on legal fishing operations face reduced income and food insecurity, while enforcement agencies struggle with underfunding and cross-border jurisdiction challenges.
According to police media statements, poachers target kapenta and bream, hauling hundreds of kilogrammes each night and smuggling them across borders through informal routes.
This illicit trade bypasses customs declarations, tax collection, and regulatory oversight, resulting in unreported cross-border financial transactions.
A 2023 research article from the Royal United Services Institute states that illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing leads to the depletion of billions of dollars in IFFs from countries worldwide.
Zimbabwe and many other countries are among the most affected by climate change, with several also facing debt crises and struggling to provide basic services and social protections in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Globally, it is estimated that IUU fishing results in US$50 billion in annual losses, making it the third most profitable natural resource crime after timber and mining.
Investigations conducted by The Standard, involving local fishing cooperatives, conservationists, and community members, demonstrated how illegal fishing is decimating fish stocks, disrupting livelihoods, and fuelling illicit financial activity that remains largely invisible in formal economic reporting.
On May 21, four suspected Zambian poachers were arrested on the Mackenzie side of the lake.
They were found in possession of a 2,200-metre stretch of illegal twine netting, a banana boat, and 20 kilogrammes of fish.
Days later, a Kariba-based businesswoman was sentenced to three months in prison after she was discovered with 254 twine nets in Chalala.
Conservationists say these arrests reveal just a fraction of the scale of the illicit trade.
Twine nets, though banned in Zimbabwe, remain widely used because they are cheap, durable, and can capture significant quantities of fish in a single haul.
Conservationist Rob Stewart*, who is based in the Zambezi Valley, stated that these nets are central to the illegal operations, allowing syndicates to harvest up to 100 kilograms of fish each night.
“The real issue is the illicit financial flows that are driving this trade,” he said. “Zambians cross into Zimbabwean waters, harvest fish, and then sell them in Zambia or reintroduce them into Zimbabwe informally—without any official record or tax payments.”
A report by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (Afrodad) links the Lake Kariba fish poaching to broader patterns of illicit financial flows from Zimbabwe.
The report, titled Illicit Financial Flows: Towards an Integrated Approach for Curbing Illicit Flows from Zimbabwe, found that illegal fishing across shared water bodies—particularly Lake Kariba and parts of the Zambezi River — contributed to an estimated US$11,3 million in illicit outflows as far back as 2013.
These flows result from both smuggling and under-invoicing of exports, with profits often not returning to Zimbabwe.
Afrodad noted that, while official statistics indicate that Zambia is a primary importer of Zimbabwean fish, the actual volume and value are impossible to verify due to unrecorded transactions.
“These illicit flows are unrecorded, and earnings on the illegal transaction might not return to Zimbabwe,” the report stated.
Stewart recalled a deadly incident in December 2019 in which suspected Zambian poachers killed twoZimbabwean rangers during a patrol on Lake Kariba.
“I lost two of my best friends,” Stewart said, naming rangers Timothy Tembo and Chidhumo Mabharani, whose bodies were later found between Spurning and Long Islands.
Stewart said many poaching operations use modified banana boats — large motorised canoes — to evade detection at night.
“At least one person on board is often armed, especially when they target fishing rigs to steal fish,” he said.
The impact on Zimbabwean fishing cooperatives has been severe.
Operators report declining catch sizes, rising costs, and shrinking market share.
Petro Mangwaya, a long-time player in the kapenta industry, said Zambian poachers routinely encroach on Zimbabwean waters, fishing near Mica Point and Musambakaruma Island.
“They’re reducing our fishing grounds, and the catch is not enough to meet demand. ,” he said.
“Meanwhile, they take their hauls to Chirundu or other informal crossings for resale.”
Mangwaya added that the use of the US dollar in Zimbabwe makes it an attractive destination for black-market trade in poached fish, thereby increasing the volume of cross-border smuggling.
This has a direct impact on the country’s capacity to collect forex and enforce fishing regulations.
TangaKanhema, chairperson of the Kapenta Producers Association, estimates that Zimbabwe is losing millions of dollars in potential revenue due to illegal fishing.
“Poachers operate in the dark. We’ve seen trucks leaving Zambia loaded with fish that’s likely been poached from Zimbabwean waters,” he said.
Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Natural Resources Governance, said curbing illegal fishing requires bilateral cooperation.
“There needs to be a defined boundary, real-time monitoring of boats, and joint enforcement mechanisms. Illicit financial flows and environmental crimes go hand in hand,” he said.
A 2024 report by Zimbabwe’s Financial Intelligence Unit titled Environmental and Natural Resource Crime Risk revealed that 1 870 cases of illegal fishing and related offences were investigated last year, with 1 101 resulting in convictions — a 92% conviction rate. The majority involved unsanctioned fishing using prohibited nets, unauthorised boats, and poaching in protected waters.
The fishing industry supports more than 3 000 formal jobs in Zimbabwe and indirectly benefits an estimated 2 000 others in trade and logistics.
With agriculture banned along Kariba’s shoreline due to unsuitable soil and climate conditions, fishing remains the primary livelihood for thousands.
As part of efforts to understand the scope of illicit financial flows in Zimbabwe's fishing industry, questions were posed to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) regarding cross-border fishing on Lake Kariba smuggling, and tax evasion.
Regarding the magnitude of cross-border fishing on Lake Kariba, Zimra stated that it does not have the mandate to comment on the issue, recommending that the question be directed to the entity responsible for monitoring cross-border fishing.
However, Zimra provided insight into its strategies for combating smuggling and tax evasion.
The organisation has implemented several measures, including border patrols, roadblocks, drone technology for border surveillance, post-clearance verifications and audits, and joint enforcement activities with other law enforcement agencies.
When asked about the annual revenue generated from harvested fish, Zimra indicated that it is not in a position to provide this information.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, which has jurisdiction over Lake Kariba, did not respond to inquiries regarding the matter.
- *Name changed to protect source
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