SOURCING AND STOCKING OF HOMESTEAD FISH SPECIES (Part 1)

SOURCING, SELECTION, TRANSPORTATION AND STOCKING OF HOMESTEAD FISH SPECIES

A trip to Kaduna to assess and advise a “big” investor in fish farming (Mr G.) in October 2004 revealed the following:

1.     Over 8,000 dead Clarias fingerlings!!!, already dried in a basin form a supplier in Lagos.

2.    Another Big Fish Haulage Insulator from a Federal Ministry Extension Office that was used to supply Tilapia fingerlings resulting in 98% mortality was found abandoned on his site.

3.    A sophisticated hatchery lies dormant for inadequate know-how on HOW TO TRANSPORT CATFISH BROODSTOCK to Kaduna.

4.    A portion of his facility was dedicated to ornamental fishery but he is at a loss as to the SOURCE and METHOD to get the fish to Kaduna. The above scenario typifies the challenges a modern day fish farmer experiences.

Current trends in the agro-allied business show that fish

FISH FARMING IS THE NUMBER ONE VENTURE OF THE 21^ST CENTURY and I know it is with that sensitivity that we are here.

We have an understanding of the TIMES and SEASONS and like the proverbial ANTS story, we’ll like to sickle – in the harvest and male good profits.

But then, we must have a firm grasp of the following aspects of fish farming:

a.      HOMESTEAD FISH SPECIES: with emphasis on the most profitable one. THE CATFISH

b.      HOW DO I SOURCE/SELECT THE RIGHT SPECIES

c.      TRANSPORTATION METHODS

d.      HOW TO STOCK THEM INTO PONDS

This paper is presented in form of NUGGETS to maximize the limited time allotted to this segment of the programme.

a.       HOMESTEAD FISH SPECIES

What is homestead?

A house and land; a farm with its buildings or a piece of land given by the state on condition that the owner farms it

With this definition in mind, below are the TOP 10 SPECIES FOR HOMESTEAD FISH CULTURE (Edible Variety)

i.      The African mud catfish – Clarias gariepinus

ii.     The Giant African catfish – Heterobranchus bidorsalis

iii.    The Slapwater or ‘Arowana’ – Heterotis niloticus

iv.    The ‘Aquatic chicken’ Tilapia – Tilapia niloticus

v.     The Aluminium catfish – Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus

vi.    Aba fish – Gymnarchus niloticus

vii.   Snake head – Channa obscura

viii.  The Elephant of the river – Lates niloticus

ix.    Tigerfish – Hydrocyanus vittatus

x.     The freshwater prawn – Macrobranchium sp.