Tilapia Fish Farm
Tilapia is a common species for aquaculture. Throughout worldwide, there are thousands and thousands of small fish scale farmers culturing Tilapia. In Africa Tilapia fish farming is growing rapidly. But, on other hand most of the failures from small scale farmers in culturering these species it mostly results from luck of knowledge and lack of good management in these various projects.
I am a person who’s trying my best to enter in a farm business of culturing Tilapia. I have knowledge and skills about fish (Tilapia) and fresh water fish farming. Ranging from biological futures, behaviors, and adaptation of Tilapia species. Currently, I am planning to establish a Tilapia fish farm project up north of Namibia in Kavango region. The region is having a sustainable fresh water river called Kavango River, which will be my water source point.
Thus, in general, I would like to get new ideas from where I can start. Currently, I am on my site selection stage. Anyone who can help me to go through these plans by providing me step by step procedures that I can take to reach my stage Z in this process. I believe posting my request on this site, from expertise from different directions will have a touch filling from this.
I would be highly appreciated to hear from you every one out there, togather we can take aquacultuere in africa on top.
Best regards,
Joe
RE: DLIST ASCLME: Tilapia Fish Farm
Dear Joe
Your posting re Fish Farming is extremely interesting. The DLIST discussion forum reaches many coastal communities, donors, government players, etc. Fish farming and mariculture is a hot topic, as various parties see this as potentially income generating projects for communities, or at the very least there is a belief that fish farming provide better food security than what one gets from only using the naturally occurring and uncultivated resources. I know that on the East Coast of Africa there are various attempts at mariculture at a community-based level, including some successful cases. Now, your posting was on the DLIST Agulhas and Somali Currents list, and it may also generate interest on the other side of Africa, namely the Benguela Current side. I see that you work with Tilapia - do you know of successful operations in the coastal areas? I think especially in Angola can this work very well, where there is a lot of fresh water, and I know there is a lot of interest there in demonstration sites for mariculture and aquaculture, so hopefully the DLIST administrators will pick up on this and cross-post your entry and my reply on the DLIST Benguela list also. Let's see what happens. Tell us more about your experience also.
Francois
Tilapia Fish Farm
Currently, I do Water Quality Monitoring Programme for Shellfish along the Namibian coast. So far people are still planning discussing on how to achieve to culture fresh water Tilapia species in marine environment. But it’s not yet in practice. Thus, I don’t have a concrete success story about it. But on fresh water, yes there are a lot of success stories on culturing Tilapia in Namibia. Only that, all the projects are owned by the Government. This encouraged me to establish a private project that will give an example to others on how to go in this business. I wish myself a successes on this kind of a project I want to implement.
Back to myself, I am 31 years old, born in 30 August 1980 in Namibia, in the region called Kavango region. I am a degree holder in Marine and Aquatic science obtained from University of Namibia (UNAM). I graduated in 2008. Currently, I am working in the government (Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources), directorate of Aquaculture and section of Research, Disease and Quality Control as a Fisheries Research Technician along Namibian coast of Swakopmund. And I am in a plan to do my Master in Aquatic science next year 2012 at UNAM.
Throughout my study, Math, Physics and Biology was my favorite subjects. This encouraged me to do a science course at the university. During my studies I was granted a chance to go on my field attachments during my 3rd and 4th year of my study, I was attached to work at some of the fish farms projects (Culturing Tilapia species) at the Northern part of the country (in my home region). Because of my interest, skills and knowledge I was having, I was told to work there during my holidays time. Through this practical work, it inspired me to have my own fish farm one day. I decided to acquire more knowledge in fish farm projects. I was asking myself a lot of questions. Since, I have skills and knowledge on what the fish farm project is all about, and besides that, we have a clean fresh water river (Kavango river) beside us in our region. All these thinking made me to have a concrete believe that I can do it. I will have my fish farm one day. I can bring Tilapia fish farming on top in my country Namibia. Currently, we are on less than 20% of the population culturing fish species at least at a small scale level (Individually) in Namibia.
So far, I have made a feasibility study on my site selection. I have a perfect good site with a good landscape for my fish farm. Now I am in a plan of preparing my Business plan for my fish farm. Afterwards, is the time I will see how to start my fish farm and how to get money to implement my project. But I wish and wish with my heart to have my fish farm and that is my dream to run and manage such kind of the business. So that, one day when I will have a family, I will be with them on our farm and manage it.
That is why when I read through all these discussions on DLIST Agulhas and Somali, I found out that some expertise and experienced people I can talk to. People who went through all these types of challenges before, to give me advice and support on how to start such kind of a business. Based on the experiences and challenges they went through when they were at my level, while at the same time deep down their heart they have such an idea of starting a fish farm. I know and believe that they were filing/having same fillings as that I have now.
Thanks for your time everyone, this is what I have for you about myself and my plans and will be glad to hear from you.
Regards,
Joe