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.

INTRODUCING THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN FISH FARMING

Dear Fish Farmer,                                 

Introducing.......                                        

The Best Kept

Secret in fish farming 

.......a golden opportunity

By Israel Ademuyiwa Adediran

Dear Fish Farmer,                                     Secret in fish farming

Introducing.......                                         ......a golden opportunity

The Best Kept

By Israel Ademuyiwa Adediran

We’ll like to tell you about one of the best kept secret in the world of fish farming: THE RECIRCULATING AQUACULTURE TANK PRODUCTION SYSTEM. You may recognize the name.

But probably don’t know what it is all about or why this article is written. We’ll make it quick.....lets read on.

The facts below will surprise you, concerning the BENEFITS OFFERED by this method of aquaculture as opposed to the flow-through or conventional fish farming methology.

Recirculation	Conventional
1.     Quick growth of fishes yielding as much as 1.2kg in 5months.	Slower growth, farmers get 200gms fish in 6 month to 1yr.
2.     High stocking density between 100-540 fishes per square metre yielding as much as N100,000 worth of fish per square metre in 5 months.	Low stocking density as most propaganda on fish farming talk of 2 to 10 fishes per square metre yielding N1,500 worth of fish per square metre.
3.     Tremendous water savings with 10,000 litres of water producing 4.2 tonnes of fish = ½ gallon of water to raise 1kg of fishes.	Huge waste of water with 1 million gallons of water per acre to produce 1kg of fish.
4.     Cost savings with no need for netting and security fence since it is mostly located in a limited space close to or within living quarters.	Fish farming dreams are always preceded with thoughts of acquiring acre of remote swampland with the attendant gargantuan cost of fencing, security guards and netting against frogs, cats, snakes, birds, etc.
5.     Most of the fishes are visible making access easy to monitor their size, number, health and to Grade.	Green and murky water is one big nightmare of earthen pond owners as fish observation distorted.
6.     Oxygen level is about 3-10 times higher (20%-98% concentration) because of the pumps aeration and water falls (with optional pure oxygen injector) and the absence of green or murky water.	The stagnant waters of fish ponds contains only 8%, oxygen, and quickly drops to 0.001% within 24hrs but fishes grows faster with more oxygen, for catfish in an open ponds this is bad news as the green algae in pond water also consumes oxygen at night when catfish are supposed to be active.
7.     210 tonnes per acre is possible!	Only 2.5 tonnes per hectares is possible.
8.     Harvesting is easy and can be done by 2 people.	Harvesting is another nightmare with huge net large number of labourers and heavy stress on fish.

COST OF CATFISH FARM AS AT MARCH 2004

No	Size	Income Tonnage	Cost of Construction Excl: Land, Fence, Borehole, Power Gen	Cost of Operation for 1year Incl: Pellet Machine, Nets, Fingerlings, Feeds, Labour.	Total
1.	2 ponds of 2mx4m	6T for 1.5m income annually	750,000	720,000	1,470,000
2.	2 ponds 2mx5m with Grading pond	10T for N25m income annually	900,000	1,100,000	2,000,000
3.	4 ponds of 2mx5m with Grading pond	20T for N5m income annually	1,522,000	1,750,000	3,272,000
4.	6 ponds of 2mx5m with Grading ponds	30T for N7.5m income annually	2,550,000	2,650,000	5,200,000
5.	6 ponds of 3mx7m with Grading ponds	60T for N15m income annually	5,150,000	6,150,000	11,300,000
6.	Mobile Circular Vats system	5T for N1.2m income annually	850,000	400,000	1,250,000
7.	250,000 fingerlings production facility	N2.5m per 2months or 15m per annum	3,900,000	3,900,000	7,800,000
8.	Hatchery & Nursery set for 10 tanks 40,000 fingerlings	400,000 per 2 months or N2.4m per annum	400,000	800,000	1,200,000

For updated Bill of Quantities and prices, Whatsapp – 08096680061 or mail mrfishbiodisk@gmail.com or catfish192001@yahoo.com