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 21ST 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.
