Dr. Portia Chifamba

Qualifications:

PhD (2019) (University of Groningen) MSc in Fisheries Management (North Wales) BSc Hons in Biological Sciences (University of Zimbabwe)

Academic Appointments:

Senior Lecturer

Research Interests:

fish species
sardine fishery

Faculty: Science

Department: Biological Sciences and Ecology

Research Category: Bioscience

Biography:

Dr Chifamba has keen interest in Fish and Fisheries Biology. Her work includes studies of diet and growth of several fish species. She has undertaken extensive studies of two fish species introduced into Lake Kariba; Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus and freshwater sardine, Limnothrissa miodon. The studies demonstrate that unplanned introduction of Nile tilapia had negative impact on the ecosystem compared to planned introduction of the sardine intended to fill a vacant niche and improve fish production. She has compared the diet, aggression, reproductive capacity and growth of the Nile tilapia in order to determine the traits that might have given the introduced species competitive advantage over the endemic indigenous cichlid, Oreochromis mortimeri. The fisheries work she has undertaken includes establishing that effective fishing effort in the sardine fishery and it increases as a result of fishing vessel and gear improvement, an aspect critical in the management of fishing effort.She is a senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences and Ecology

Email: pcchifamba@science.uz.ac.zw

Phone: +263242303211

Publications:

1. Magadza, C. H. D., Madzivanzira, T. C. and Chifamba, P. C. (2020) ‘Decline of zooplankton food resources of Limnothrissa miodon fishery in Lake Kariba: Global warming-induced ecosystem disruption by Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii’, Lakes and Reservoirs: Research and Management. Blackwell Publishing, 25(2), pp. 117–132. doi: 10.1111/lre.12318.
2. Chifamba, C. (2019) ‘The biology and impacts of Oreochromis niloticus and Limnothrissa miodon introduced in Lake Kariba’.
3. Marufu, L. et al. (2018) ‘The population dynamics of a recently introduced crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868), in the Sanyati Basin of Lake Kariba’, African Zoology. African Zoology, 53(1), pp. 17–22. doi: 10.1080/15627020.2018.1448719.
4. Chifamba, P. C., & Mauru, T. (2017). Comparative aggression and dominance of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Oreochromis mortimeri (Trewavas, 1966) from paired contest in aquaria. Hydrobiologia, 788(1), 193-203.
5. Chifamba, P., Science, J. V.-A. J. of A. and 2014, undefined (2014) ‘African Journal of Aquatic Science Growth rates of alien Oreochromis niloticus and indigenous Oreochromis mortimeri in Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe PC Chifamba & JJ Videler’, Taylor & Francis. 39(2), pp. 167–176. doi: 10.2989/16085914.2014.903375.
6. Muisa, N., Hoko, Z., & Chifamba, P. (2011). Impacts of alum residues from Morton Jaffray Water Works on water quality and fish, Harare, Zimbabwe. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 36(14-15), 853-864.
7. Chifamba, P. C. (2007) ‘African Journal of Aquatic Science Trace metal contamination of water at a solid waste disposal site at Kariba, Zimbabwe’, African Journal of Aquatic Science, 32(1), pp. 71–78. doi: 10.2989/AJAS.2007.32.1.10.147.
8. Chifamba, P. C., Chifamba, N., & Wanink, J. H. (2007, June). Droplet-drinking Drongo defends dripping drawers during drought. In OSTRICH (Vol. 78, No. 2, pp. 316-316)
9. Odada, E. O. et al. (2005) Proceedings Volume Ii Edited By: Proceedings Volume Ii
10. Chifamba, P. C. (1995) ‘Factors affecting the fishing power of sardine fishing vessels and implications for the management of the fisheries on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe’, Fisheries Management and Ecology, 2(4), pp. 309–319. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2400.1995.tb00122.x.
11. Ecology, P. C.-F. M. and and 1995, undefined (no date) ‘Factors affecting the fishing power of sardine fishing vessels and implications for the management of the fisheries on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe’, Wiley Online Library.
12. Chifamba, P. (1993) Annual report 1993. Available at:
13. Chifamba, P. C. (1988) A comparative study of consumption rates and preference for some species of aquatic plants by Tilapia rendalli. Lake Variba Fisheries Research Institute Department of National Parks and WildliFe tianagement.