Aquaculture Aquaculture development in Botswana is very limited at present. Although a number of proposals for the establishment of fish farms have been submitted to the government since the early 1980s, mainly by foreign consultants, only three ventures have reached the implementation stage. Two fish farming operations were established in the Okavango area and a third one near Gaborone. None of these activities are believed to have yet reached the stage of economic viability. There is some potential, however, for the integration of fish farming into commercial farming enterprises which can take advantage of economies in relation to fertilizer and feed supply and management and site infrastructure.
Limiting factors are the absence of quality seed supply sources and of local aquaculture expertise.
The level of fishing in dams and reservoirs in Botswana is very low because of unfamiliarity of rural people with fish and lack of knowledge on fishing methods. The development of the fishing industry could, however, provide jobs, food and income for the people of the economically depressed Northwestern part of Botswana. The establishment of input supply and fish marketing channels are essential requisites for better exploitation of fishery resources. Demand Fish has traditionally been an important part of the diet of people living in areas where fisheries exist, such as Okavango and Chobe. This assumption has been repudiated by recent studies which concluded that the main constraints to people eating more fish are its lack of availability and lack of knowledge on how to cook it.