Fish farming: Lagos harvests 50 tons of cat fish through empowerment initiative
At least 50 tons of catfish have been
harvested at the maiden harvest of the commercial cage culture system
of fish farming within a year, an initiative by the Lagos State
Government to empower 60 youths at the Agbowa-Ikosi Beach in Ikosi
Ejirin Local Council Development Area, LCDA, of the state.
The cage culture project is a new fish
farming technology introduced by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s
administration to increase fish production and create more jobs
through training and empowerment of youths in the state.
State's Commissioner for Agriculture,
Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau who expressed great delight at the success of
the programme, encouraged the youths to be more focus as they build
future for themselves in the business of fish farming.
Suarau also revealed that 3,000 fishes
were to be harvested at the Agbowa-Ikosi fish farm with an average
harvest of 1.2kg per day.
He said the cage culture system of fish
farming is one of the ways employed by state government to maximize
the benefit of the abundance of water resources which accounts for
about 22 percent of the state’s landmass.
Suarau pointed out that the declining
catch per unit effort of fishermen informed the policy shift of
government from capture fisheries to fish farming otherwise known as
Aquaculture.
“For some years, the development of
Aquaculture has existed as the utilization of earthen ponds in the
rural communities with close proximity to Lagoon and other water
bodies”.
“Lately the use of concrete fish
ponds in upland areas has gained wide acceptance and now the State
has introduced the Cage Cultuer System by rearing the fish in their
natural water bodies; this makes fish farming easier with less
stress,” the commissioner stated.
He added that the cage cultuer system
is a cheaper method of fish rearing which allow for fish to be reared
in their natural habitat.
Suarau noted that the Agbowa–Ikosi
site is the satrting point for the project which the government
intend to replicate in all the riverine areas of the state including;
Badagry, Eti-Osa, Ikorodu and Epe Local Government Areas, LGAs.
Commending the 60 participants for
their success, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Food Security,
Mr. Sanni Okanlawon, implored other youths in the state to take
advantage of the cage culture initiative, as the state government is
ready to support and partner with anyone or group that is willing to
contribute to the food security agenda of the state.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the
Ministry, Dr. Olayiwole Onasanya added that the cage and pen culture
would also create employment opportunities directly and indirectly.
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