Opportunities in aquaculture

1. Fries. Fingerlings and juvenile production 2. Grow-out or table fish production 3. Broodstock production 4. Plankton production 5. Shrimp, crayfish, prawn, lobster production 6. Oyster and clams production 7. Aquarium/ornamental/fancy fish production 8. Sport fishing 9. Contract fishing 10. Consultancy service 11. Pond design and construction 12. Exporting opportunity 13. Research 14. Lecture/seminar/training 15. Buying and selling 16. Marketing fish products 17. Processing fish products 18. Fish feed milling 19. Fish pharmaceutical 20. Fish equipment production

Fish farming in nigeria

Fish farming is one of the most lucrative agricultural businesses across the globe. Fish farming in Nigeria is not left out as well; in fact Nigeria is one of the most consumers of fish in the world owing to the large population of the country. Research as shown that Nigeria requires about 2.66 million metric tonnes of fish annually and domestic fish production is estimated at less than 0.7 million metric tonne per year. This has made it so difficult for Nigeria to satisfy the fish dietary requirement of its citizens thereby resulting to the importation of fish from other countries. Nigeria has no reason to import Fish from other countries considering the favourable environment of the country for agriculture including fish farming, yet Nigeria is one of the heavy importers of fish from abroad. This is because both the government and individuals have failed to harness the business opportunity in this sector. Do you know that the government is ready to ban the importation of fish from abroad? Yes government wants to do that, provided people are ready to go into fish farming in Nigeria and meet the dietary needs of the people. This is where you as a smart entrepreneur should come in and take the opportunity with both hands. Fish farming is truly an avenue to create wealth if proper utilized. This is because there is ready made market for the business considering the fish consumption statistics given above. The more the people tap into fish farming in Nigeria, the better for them and the country at large. More jobs will be created leading to reduction of unemployment, Nigeria foreign reserves will be conserved when the importation is stopped and poverty will also be reduced to the barest minimum. FISH FARMING IN NIGERIA-COMMON FISH SPECIES The most common fishes raised in Nigeria are Carp, Tilapia, and Catfish, but catfish is the most popular of them all. There is high demand for catfish and this has made the fish the most popular among all the types of fishes. There are many species of catfish but the common ones found in Nigeria are: Heteroclatias Clarias geriepenius Heterobranchus bidorsalis FISH FARMING IN NIGERIA- REQUIREMENT The basic requirements for fish farming are land, water supply and Ponds. LAND: This is the first requirement for fish farming. One will need to get at least half a plot of land at a suitable place, preferably close to a source of water especially river. The facilities that will be on the land you will acquire are Ponds, water supply, drainage system and possibly the farm house. The fish farm site should have good access to road and near to market. WATER SUPPLY: reliable source of water must be made available before going into fish farming because this is one of the most important requirements for fish farming. Either bore hole water or natural water (from river, stream etc) is the best for fish farming. On no account should chemically treated water especially tap water should be used for fish farming. Other require under this category are Installation of overhead tank, pumping machine and Pipes. POND(S): Construction of a standard pond will go a long way to determine the success of your business. To get the best out of fish farming, the services of expert should be sought for, for the construction of fish ponds. FISH FARMING IN NIGERIA- OPERATIONAL PROCESSES After setting up the fish farm, the thing is to go swing into action immediately by starting fish farming operation. The following are the major operational processes of fish farming: FISH BREEDING/BUYING OF FINGERLINGS: This is the first process in the operation of fish farming. There are so many methods to breed fish, but this article is not going into details of that. If you’re just starting up, I recommend that you buy fingerlings instead of worrying yourself with breeding from the scratch; this is because breeding process is technical. After getting your fingerlings, put them into the pond and you are good to go. At the early stage of fingerlings you will have to give them enough attention by providing zooplankton which serves as their feeds that plays essential role in their survival. You will also need to battle the problem of cannibalism, predation by frogs and aquatic insect and abiotic problem that may arise as result of high temperature of the water in the pond METHOD OF FEEDING: You will need to feed the fishes appropriately to ensure maximum growth and yield. The feeds that will be given must be crude feeds rich in essential amino- acids like lysine, argine, methionine etc. The best feed for fish is fishmeal but due to the cost fish farmers are now using alternative feeds from both animal and plant sources. The most common substitutes are groundnut cake, soybean mea,l all which also contains the essential nutrient needed by the fishes. You may not need worrying yourself with fish feed formulation, all you need do is get a reliable vendor where you can buy them. Care must be taken in your choice of vendor to ensure you choose a vendor that supplies quality feeds. There are different feeding methods but the most common method used in Nigeria and which we recommend is pellated floating feeds. This method reduces feed wastage and at the same time ensures adequate feeding of the fishes. It is advisable to put the feeds at one section of the pond instead of scattering it all over the surface of the water to minimize wastage. POND WATER CHANGING: This simply means the process of changing the old pond water and replacing it with fresh one. Pond water changing is essential so as to eliminate pollutants such as phosphates and protein which inhibit fish health and growth. Many fish farmers do not change their pond water and this result in fish slow growth, illness, and change of colour of fishes. This is a bad practice and you should not follow that pattern. The recommended water change is 60-70% two or three times in a year. This can be done by simply draining the water in the pond down 60-70% and then add dechlorinator. Then refill the pond with fresh water. FISH POND HARVEST: The last operational method is harvesting. This process may be as simple as draining the water and then herding, confining and removing fishes with deep net. But if the pond is a raised one, harvesting can be complex and labour intensive. Pond harvest should take place during the cooler part of the day. The harvest process comprises of draining and seining. The pond is first drain partially to about 20-30% to concentrate the fishes. After that the pond is repeatedly seined until most of the fishes are captured. The pond can then be drained further and the seining process repeated. Fish farming in Nigeria is a lucrative business. While not trying it today and see where the business will take you to in the nearest future. See you at the top.

FEEDS AND FEEDING

Nutrient requirements and feeding characteristics of channel catfish have been extensively researched. This research has provided the basis for the formulation of efficient, economical diets and for the development of feeding strategies - both of which have been instrumental in the success of the catfish industry. Nutrition Catfish farmers are able to feed a nutritionally complete diet that provides required levels of nutrients and energy in a readily digestible form. It is essential to provide a complete diet because catfish can synthesize only a small portion of the required nutrients and the quantity of nutrients from natural food organisms in the pond is relatively small. Forty nutrients have been identified as necessary for the normal metabolic function of channel catfish. Based on current knowledge, a digestible energy to crude protein (DE/P) ratio of 8.5-10 kcal/gram is adequate for use in commercial catfish feeds. Ratios above this range may lead to increased fat deposition and if the energy ratio is too low, the fish will grow slowly. Catfish feeds contain grain or grain by-products that are rich in starch. In addition to providing an inexpensive energy source, starch helps bind feed ingredients together and increases expansion of extruded feeds so that the feed pellets are water stable and float in the water. A typical catfish feed contains 25 percent or more of digestible carbohydrates. Lipid levels in commercial catfish feeds rarely exceed 5-6 percent. About 3-4 percent of the lipid is inherent in the feed ingredients, with the remaining 1-2 percent being sprayed onto the finished pellets to reduce feed “fines”. Both vegetable and animal lipids have been used for pellet coating. Considerable work has been conducted over the last 10 years concerning the level of dietary protein and amino acids needed for cost effective growth. Data from these studies indicate that the dietary protein requirement for various life stages of catfish ranges from about 25-50 percent. Recent studies have indicated that a protein level of 28 percent is adequate for growout when fish are fed to satiation. Catfish feed are generally supplemented with a vitamin premix to meet dietary requirements and to compensate for losses due to feed manufacture and storage. Catfish feeds are also supplemented with phosphorus and a trace mineral premix. However, there is evidence that supplemental trace minerals may not be need in diets using animal proteins. Feeds There are various types of catfish feeds. The type being used at any particular time is a function of size of fish being fed, whether the fish are feeding at the surface or in the water column, and if an antibiotic is incorporated. Catfish fry in hatcheries are fed finely ground meal- or flour- type feeds containing 45-50 percent protein. Fines or crumbles from 28 or 32 percent protein feeds for food fish growout are suitable for fry stocked in nursery ponds until they reach 1-2 inches in length. Larger fingerlings should be fed small floating pellets (1/8 inch diameter) containing 35 percent protein. Advanced fingerlings (5-6 inches) and food fish are generally fed a floating feed of approximately 5/32 - 3/16 inch in diameter containing 28-32 percent protein. Some producers switch to a slow-sinking feed during the winter. Antibiotics are administered to catfish through incorporation in feeds. Depending on the particular antibiotic chosen, the feed may either be floating or sinking. Feeding Despite considerable research, feeding catfish is far from an exact science. It is a highly subjective process that differs among catfish farmers. The variation in feeding practices is a product of numerous factors such as cropping system, fish size, ability to manage water quality, experience of feeding labor, and difficulty in estimating fish inventory. In general, fish should be fed once a day as much feed as they will consume without adversely affecting water quality. However, depending on water quality variables and the health of the fish, it may be advisable to restrict the daily feed allowance or to feed less often. Long-term feed allowance should not exceed 100-125 pounds per acre per day. Most catfish producers feed once a day, 7 days a week during the warmer months. Although feeding twice a day may slightly improve growth of fingerlings, the logistics of multiple feedings on large catfish farms make it impractical. Feed is typically blown onto the surface of the water using mechanical feeders. Feeds should be scattered over as wide an area as possible to provide equal feeding opportunities for as many fish as possible. Feeding with prevailing winds allows the feed to float across the pond and minimizes the amount of feed washing ashore. Overfeeding should be avoided since wasted feed increases production costs.