Aquaculture License

Service documentation · Republic of Zambia · GSB e-Services

Owner	Department of Fisheries
Service key	MFL/aquaculture-license
Version	service v1, platform 47fe6fa7
Date	2026-10-22

Generated automatically by the service's end-to-end test run. Every screenshot shows synthetic test data on a local test installation, never real personal data.

This document describes the Aquaculture License service of Department of Fisheries as the platform runs it today. It is generated by the service's end-to-end test: every step below was performed by the test, and every screenshot was taken during that run with synthetic data. Regenerate it with npm run docs:services in the e2e suite; do not edit it by hand.

1. Service summary

Item	Detail
Service	Aquaculture License
Owner (MDA)	Department of Fisheries (MFL)
Purpose	Service offered to individuals or organizations that intend to cultivate, propagate, or farm: fish, aquatic vegetation, from eggs, spawn, spat or seed or by rearing fish lawfully taken from the wild or lawfully imported into the country.
Who can apply	Individual; Organization
How to apply	Online on the national e-Services portal, signed in with ZamPass; pay with ZamPay.
Fees	Ornamental breeding for export: ZMW 6640.00 Angling in dams: ZMW 12.00 Fish Farming License: small pond producing less than 3 tonnes: ZMW 22.00 Fish Farming License: large pond: producing 3 to 5 tonnes: ZMW 66.40 Fish Farming License: large pond: producing 5 to 100 tonnes: ZMW 110.80 Fish Farming License: large pond: producing over 100 tonnes: ZMW 220.00 Fish Farming License: culture of exotic fish (already in production): ZMW 11120.00 Fish Farming License: cage culture/pen culture/re-circulation system: producing less than 1 tonne: ZMW 22.00 Fish Farming License: cage culture/pen culture/re-circulation system: producing 1 to 5 tonnes: ZMW 222.40 Fish Farming License: cage culture/pen culture/re-circulation system: producing 5 to 100 tonnes: ZMW 444.40 Fish Farming License: cage culture/pen culture/re-circulation system: producing over 100 tonnes: ZMW 1110.80 Fish hatchery permits: hatchery producing less than 10,000 fingerlings: ZMW 110.80 Fish hatchery permits: hatchery producing 10 to 50,000 fingerlings: ZMW 222.40 Fish hatchery permits: hatchery producing over 50,000 fingerlings: ZMW 1110.80
Turnaround	Up to 30 days
Validity of the output	1 year
Required documents	National Registration Card (NRC) (required) Company Registration Certificate (required) Water Permit (required) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Environment Project Brief (EPB) (required) Site Inspection Report (required) Passport (required)
Output documents	Application form GS-2 Notice of Government Action GF-1 Treasury Invoice GF-2 Treasury Receipt Permit or licence
Legal basis	SI No. 84 of 2019 (https://media.zambialii.org/media/legislation/41877/source_file/368e2a3fae05d60d/zm-act-si-2019-84-publication-document.pdf) SI No. 17 of 2024 (https://media.zambialii.org/media/legislation/41277/source_file/e2345820a62b692f/zm-act-si-2024-17-publication-document.pdf)

2. Application process, step by step

The process as configured in the back office:

Step	Role	Task	Type
1	Applicant	Apply	form
2	Case Officer	Review	review
3	Case Officer	Veterinary or fisheries inspection	livestock-fisheries-inspection
4	Case Officer	Generate Payment	generate-payment
5	Applicant	Payment	payment
6	Case Officer	Verify Payment	verify-payment
7	Case Officer	Review	review
8	Executive	Decision	decision
9	System	Generate Document	generate-document
10	System	Notify Client	notify

Who takes part in this journey: Citizen, Case Officer, Inspector, Executive, Supervisor, Anyone (public).

Step 1. Find the service and read its page

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The citizen finds "Aquaculture License" in the national directory and opens its page: the authority that decides it, the documents to have ready, the fees and the time it takes.

Step 2. Apply with the fish farm and its site

Citizen · National e-Services portal (sent through the API the portal uses in the test run: no screenshot)

The citizen names the holder (a company), describes the fish farm - its name, district and address, its outline drawn on the map (about 3.6 hectares), four ponds of 2,400 m2, the species farmed, the water body and the expected production - answers the service's own questions (kind of aquaculture, source of the fish) and uploads the required documents. The fish farm is recorded as FF-2026-00001, proposed, and the application needs an inspection on site.

Step 3. Take the application on

Case Officer · Back office (done through its case API in the test run: no screenshot)

The Case Officer takes the new application on (assigned to them). The case moves from "Submitted" to "CO Review".

Step 4. Check the application against the registers

Case Officer · Back office (done through its case API in the test run: no screenshot)

The Case Officer completes "Check the application against the registers". The case moves from "CO Review" to "CO Review".

Step 5. Plan the inspection on site

Case Officer · Back office

On the licence page (Ministry functions -> Livestock and fisheries -> Permits and licences) the officer plans the inspection and chooses the inspector. It is a core inspection made with the module's fish farm template, which requires the visit proved on site: a GPS-tracked position at the farm and photos taken there. The application's inspection step cannot be left until it is.

Step 6. An inspection recorded off site is held

Inspector · Back office

The inspector records the inspection on the GSB-POS terminal from 300 km away: the server compares the walked GPS track and the photos' positions with the fish farm's outline and holds it ("not proved on site"). The licence page says why; the application cannot move on.

Step 7. The inspection recorded at the farm: verified

Inspector · Back office

At the farm the inspector walks the site with the terminal, takes photos (stamped with their position) and answers the checklist: the farm is where the application says, the ponds are as declared, only the declared species are farmed. The visit is verified on site; the inspector's positions are not shown on the licence page.

Step 8. Set the fee

Case Officer · Back office (done through its case API in the test run: no screenshot)

The officer sets the fee from the service's fee schedule: Fish Farming License: large pond: producing 5 to 100 tonnes, ZMW 110.80. The applicant is invoiced.

Step 9. Pay the licence fee

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The application waits for the payment in My Workplace, with a Pay button (ZamPay: mobile money or bank card).

Step 10. Verify Payment

Case Officer · Back office (done through its case API in the test run: no screenshot)

The Case Officer completes "Verify Payment". The case moves from "CO Verify Payment" to "CO Review".

Step 11. Draft the decision

Case Officer · Back office (done through its case API in the test run: no screenshot)

The Case Officer completes "Draft the decision". The case moves from "CO Review" to "EX Decision".

Step 12. Decision and signature

Executive · Back office (done through its case API in the test run: no screenshot)

The Executive decides: approve ("Decision and signature"). The case moves from "EX Decision" to "Completed".

Step 13. The fish farm in the register

Supervisor · Back office

Ministry functions -> Livestock and fisheries -> Farms and fish farms: the fish farm, registered, with its ponds, its outline on the map, its licence and its history (proposed with the application, registered at the decision).

Step 14. The map of farms and disease control zones

Supervisor · Back office

The map shows the disease control zones in force (an infected zone in red), the fish farms with the state of their licence and the livestock farms, with other ministries' published layers. Other ministries see the zones; the farms are this ministry's own and never name a private owner.

Step 15. The licence in My permits

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The licence is listed in "My permits and licences" with its validity, the fish farm and its outline on a small map (a generic block: any permit can show its particulars and area), and a download of the sealed licence.

Step 16. Verify the licence

Anyone (public) · Public verification page

The QR code on the licence opens the public verification page: genuine and current, and whether the electronic seal is valid. No personal details are shown.

3. Payment

Item	In the test run
Fee	ZMW 110.80: fish farming licence, large pond producing 5 to 100 tonnes (the service's fee schedule)
When it is paid	After the inspection on site, before the decision
Invoice number	1914089469435073
Paid through	ZamPay (the ZamPay test double in this run)

On screen: step 9 (Pay the licence fee) in section 2.

4. Output documents

Permit or licence (sealed PDF)

The licence issued when the Executive decides: the kind of licence and its number, the holder, the fish farm (reference, name, district), its ponds, species and water body, the validity (12 months), that the farm was inspected on site, sealed with the platform's electronic seal and a QR code for verification.

The issued PDF has 1 page; the image shows the first.

Fields

Field	Value in the test run
Document title	Permit or licence
Permit / licence number	MFL-AL-2026-00001
Holder	Chanda Mwila
Valid from	2026-10-22
Valid until	2027-10-21
Status	active
Verification code (printed with a QR code)	E3DU-2SPE-UX

Seal

Item	Detail
Seal status	sealed
Signature level	PAdES-B-T
Sealed by	the platform seal (development key in the test run)
Signed at	2026-10-22T04:41:43.057Z
Trusted time-stamp	2026-10-22T04:41:43.047Z (time-stamping authority)
Document fingerprint (SHA-256)	1807d452cf3f8d2e...

Verification

Item	Detail
Where	The public verification page of the national portal, <portal>/verify/<verification code>, opened by scanning the QR code on the document.
What it shows	Whether the document is genuine and current, its holder and validity, and whether the electronic seal is valid and who sealed it.
Checking a copy	Anyone can upload a PDF they were given; the page says whether it is exactly the document that was issued. A changed copy is reported as not matching.

On screen: step 13 (The fish farm in the register), step 14 (The map of farms and disease control zones), step 15 (The licence in My permits), step 16 (Verify the licence) in section 2.

5. Notifications

When	Channel	To	Message	Delivery
Application received	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 received - Your application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 for Aquaculture License has been received by Department of Fisheries.	shown
Status changed	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Update on application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 - MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 (Aquaculture License) is now: With the office - being reviewed.	shown
Payment due (invoice raised)	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Payment due for application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 - The fee of ZMW 110.80 for Aquaculture License (MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26) is now due. Invoice 1914089469435073.	shown
Payment received	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Payment received for MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 - Your payment of ZMW 110.80 for MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 (Aquaculture License) has been received. Receipt: <ZamPay>/pdf?documentType=receipt&invoiceNumber=1914089469435073	shown
Invitation to rate the service	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	How was Aquaculture License? - How was Aquaculture License? Tell us in about a minute.	shown
Licence / permit issued	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Your Aquaculture License document has been issued - MFL-AL-2026-00001 has been issued for Aquaculture License and is valid until 22/10/2027.	shown
Decision: approved	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 completed - MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 (Aquaculture License) is complete. Your documents are ready.	shown
Application received	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 received	skipped
Application received	sms	+260 97* *** 567	Application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 for Aquaculture License has been received. Track it: <portal>/my-workplace	delivered
Status changed	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Payment due (invoice raised)	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Payment due for application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26	skipped
Payment due (invoice raised)	sms	+260 97* *** 567	Fee of ZMW 110.80 due for MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26. Invoice 1914089469435073. Pay: <ZamPay>/pay-for-service/get-invoice/1914089469435073	delivered
Payment received	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Invitation to rate the service	sms	+260 97* *** 567		skipped
Invitation to rate the service	email	e2e.c***@example.test	How was Aquaculture License?	skipped
Licence / permit issued	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Licence / permit issued	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Your Aquaculture License document has been issued	skipped
Decision: approved	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Application MFL-AL/00002/10-22-26 completed	skipped
Decision: approved	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered

Delivery: shown = in the portal's notification bell; delivered = the SMS gateway (a test double in this run) reported the text delivered; skipped = not sent on that channel (e-mail is not configured on the test installation, and some notices go out on one channel only); sent by the national portal = a ministry node handed the notice to the national portal, which texts and e-mails the citizen under its own name and the citizen's preferences. Addresses written <portal>, <ZamPay> stand for the national portal and ZamPay.

6. Legacy mapping

Item	Detail
Replaces	Aquaculture License in the legacy ZIGS e-Services directory (ZIGS_Services)
Legacy service id	371
Legacy provider	Department of Fisheries (MFL) under Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
Legacy process	FastTrackReview (process 4)
Fee in the legacy system	Ornamental breeding for export: ZMW 6640 (New) Angling in dams: ZMW 12 (New) Fish Farming License: small pond producing less than 3 tonnes: ZMW 22 (New) Fish Farming License: large pond: producing 3 to 5 tonnes: ZMW 66.4 (New) Fish Farming License: large pond: producing 5 to 100 tonnes: ZMW 110.8 (New) Fish Farming License: large pond: producing over 100 tonnes: ZMW 220 (New) Fish Farming License: culture of exotic fish (already in production): ZMW 11120 (New) Fish Farming License: cage culture/pen culture/re-circulation system: producing less than 1 tonne: ZMW 22 (New) Fish Farming License: cage culture/pen culture/re-circulation system: producing 1 to 5 tonnes: ZMW 222.4 (New) Fish Farming License: cage culture/pen culture/re-circulation system: producing 5 to 100 tonnes: ZMW 444.4 (New) Fish Farming License: cage culture/pen culture/re-circulation system: producing over 100 tonnes: ZMW 1110.8 (New) Fish hatchery permits: hatchery producing less than 10,000 fingerlings: ZMW 110.8 (New) Fish hatchery permits: hatchery producing 10 to 50,000 fingerlings: ZMW 222.4 (New) Fish hatchery permits: hatchery producing over 50,000 fingerlings: ZMW 1110.8 (New)
Fee taken before submission	yes (as in ZIGS)
Time to issue (legacy)	New: 30 calendar days Renewal: 30 calendar days
Legacy output templates	Application form: ZIGS_Forms_MFL / MFL_AquacultureLicense.Application GS-2 Notice of Government Action: ZIGS_Forms_Notices / GS-2.NoticeOfAction GF-1 Treasury Invoice: ZIGS_CustomForms / GF-1 Invoice GF-2 Treasury Receipt: ZIGS_CustomForms / GF-2 Receipt
Legacy address	none recorded
How it was brought over	Imported by the platform's legacy catalogue importer (zcm-backend scripts/zigs/importLegacy.js) from the ZIGS snapshot: form, case types, fees, documents, process and output templates, then served by the new platform.

7. Version and date

Item	Detail
Document version	service v1, platform 47fe6fa7
Generated	2026-10-22T04:41:50Z (by the end-to-end run, not edited by hand)
Service version	published version 1
Platform snapshot	backend 47fe6fa7 portal 9dadc82 back office f75e95d
Test suite	e2e e42f7f1; one installation (combined); seed profile mihud
Journeys	44-aquaculture-licence-onsite-inspection.spec.js: citizen: finds the service and applies with the fish farm and its site - passed 44-aquaculture-licence-onsite-inspection.spec.js: officer and inspector: the inspection is planned; off site it is held; at the farm it is verified - passed 44-aquaculture-licence-onsite-inspection.spec.js: citizen pays; the executive decides; the licence is issued and the farm registered - passed 44-aquaculture-licence-onsite-inspection.spec.js: the map: the fish farm next to the disease control zone in force - passed 44-aquaculture-licence-onsite-inspection.spec.js: citizen: the licence in My permits with the farm; sealed; verifies - passed
Result	5 of 5 journey tests passed
Data	Synthetic test data on a local test installation; provider test doubles for ZamPass, ZamPay, SMS and signing.