November 2, 2012

Nigeria targets one million tonnes fish production in five years

As it wants the government to protect local fish farmers against dumping of foreign fishes in the market, the Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN) at its 2012 fair in Ibadan, south-west, eyes one million tonnes of fish production in the next five years.

CAFAN president Tayo Akingbolagun said at the opening of the fair on Wednesday (Oct.31) that the protection was an incentive to enable farmers to attain the target.

According to him, the target is set under the Federal Government's Aqua-culture Value Chain Development programme. Akingbolagun added that dumping of foreign fish in Nigeria was one of the greatest challenges facing the local fishing industry.

"Government should address this challenge as stakeholders embark on strategies for effective take off of fisheries development under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda," he said.

Akingbolagun said that 1.25 billion fingerlings and good brood stock would be required to meet the target production as well as quality fish feeds. He also remarked that the country's brood stock had been recycled over the years.

"They now require genetic improvement to check the trend. We have suggested that farmers, research institutes and other relevant bodies should collaborate to produce genetically improved brood stock."

The president of the association also appealed to the Federal Government to subsidise fish meal, just as it subsidised cost of fertiliser for crop farmers.

According to him, feeds constitute 70% of the cost of production, adding that a bad fish feed would lead to bad harvest.