Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol. 32(3): 2011; 226 - 229 ARTICLE Fish Production In Nigeria: An Update GREMA, H.A., GEIDAM* Y.A., EGWU, G.O. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P. M. B 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State * Correspondence: Tel.: +234 8036568615; [email protected] Previous study had confirmed that land, water, SUMMARY labour and capital are the most essential In recent times, veterinarians and animal scientists have resources in that order (Kudi et al., 2008). In contributed to the development of techniques to increase the spite of availability of these resources, fish sources of animal protein in order to supplement existing farmers identified lack of finance, lack of good sources of protein. Fish is an important source of protein and market, pest and diseases as other important provides about 40% of the dietary intake of animal protein. issues in fish production (Agbebi et al., 2006; With the need for self reliance at both national and grass-root Ndu, 2006). Another problem faced by fish level, fish production offers a good potential if properly farmers is the processing and preservation needs adopted. Additionally, increase in small scale aquaculture of fish. Davies and Davies, 2009 reported projects in towns and villages will create employment and different methods of preservation such as drying, alleviate poverty. Fish production involves controlling culture smoking, chilling and brining, but the most environment and rearing of fish in captivity; to enhance prominent method of fish preservation in Nigeria production and prevent diseases and predators as well as good is smoke-drying (Akinola et al., 2006). husbandry management practices. However, the main factors affecting aquaculture in Nigeria include extreme climatic According to Momoh (2009), several Nigerian conditions, flood, water pollution, ignorance and lack of government parastatals planned to collaborate adequate technology, lack of loans and grants, fish diseases to establish industries for canning and further and problems of preservation. Despite all these challenges, processing of excess fish produced, particularly fish production has the potential to expand the national tilapia which easily multiply in large numbers resource base, generate foreign exchange and elevate the and grow rapidly. socio-economic status of fish farmers. Aquaculture alone has the potential to supply the KEYWORDS: Fish production, Poverty alleviation, Fish Health national requirement for fish and produce Management, Nigeria excesses for export generation and foreign exchange. Therefore, concerted effort is needed to be able to explore the potentials of INTRODUCTION aquaculture for the purpose of food security Fish farming otherwise known as fish culture is a programme and poverty alleviation. branch of aquaculture which involves the domestication and rearing of different types of GENERAL BACKGROUND OF NIGERIAN fish. This practice allows feeding, breeding, FISHERIES growing and harvesting of fish in a well planned Nigeria, with a population of about 140 million manner. A wide range of fish farming does exist (National Population Commission, 2006) is a including growing of fish in earthen ponds, multi-ethnic country has a land area of 923,768km2 with a continental shelf area of 47, concrete tanks, cages, pens, or run-ways (Swift, 2 1993). Several methods of successful production 934km and a length of 853km (FAO, 1995). It of fish is practiced but the popular and simple also has a vast network of inland waters like technique is the earthen pond, which is the basic rivers, flood plains, natural and man-made lakes unit of fish farming worldwide and it is and reservoirs (FAO, 1995, Kudi, et al., 2008). dependent on natural production of fish feed However, the entire production of the rivers and (Plumb,1999). lakes is hovering between 500,000 to 700,000 metric tons of fish per annum but Nigeria needs a minimum of million metric tons of fish to feed a 226 Nigerian Veterinary Journal 32(3) 2011 population of over 140 million (Momoh, 2009; valine and arginine. It is therefore suitable Dauda, 2010). for supplementing diets high in carbohydrates content. Nigeria is the largest single consumer of fish and - It contains both Omega- 3 polysaturated fish products in the African region with a fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, demand estimate of 1.4 million metric tons. It which are important in lowering blood currently imports 0.7 million tons of frozen fish cholesterol level and high blood pressure. annually making Nigeria the highest importer of - It reduces the risks of sudden death from frozen fish in the world with annual foreign heart attack and age related muscular exchange drain of N35 billion (Dauda, 2010). degeneration and vision impairment. The demand supply gap of at least 0.7 million metric tons exist nationally with import making Fish production from aquaculture accounted for up the short fall at a cost of almost 0.5 billion US only about 20,000 metric tons in the year 1994 dollars per year (Kudi et al., 2008). According to whereas reaching 96,000 metric tons in the year Adekoya and Miller (2005) domestic fish 2000 (Davies et al., 2008). It is therefore obvious production of about 500,000 metric tons is that aquaculture has the potential to expand the supplied by 85% of artisan fish-folk. Despite resource base and reduce the pressure on these considerably high potentials, local fish conventional sources of fish, generate production has failed to meet the national employment, foreign exchange and elevate demand (FAO, 1995). The imminent challenge socio-economy of the farmers (Davies et al., therefore, is to bridge the wide gap between fish 2008). demand and supply by encouraging farmers to learn the simple techniques of fish production. CONCEPT OF FISH FARMING Fish farming is an aspect of aquaculture ROLE OF FISHERIES IN NATIONAL involving all activities associated with the ECONOMY scientific and organized rearing and cultivation According, to Kudi et al.(2008), fisheries occupy of fish. It is a form of controlling of the a unique position in the agricultural sector of the environment or intervention in the rearing Nigerian economy. In terms of gross domestic process to enhance production such as regular product (GDP), the fishery sub-sector has stocking, feeding, protection from diseases and recorded the fastest growth rate in agriculture to predators as well as good husbandry practices the GDP (CBN Report, 2005). The contribution (Enabulele, 2009). Generally, there are wide of the fishery sub-sector to GDP as at 2001 variations of husbandry techniques, not only current factor cost rose from N76.76 billion to from country to country but also between levels N162.61 billion in 2005 (CBN Report, 2005). of development and technical sophistication. Fish and fish products constitute more than 40% Apart from earthen ponds, concrete lined ponds of total protein intake in adults especially in the are also used by farmers (Ndu, 2006), the rural areas (Adekoya and Miller, 2005). Apart disadvantage of which includes constant feeding from its richness in vitamins, it also contains of the fish by farmers. However, netting some quantities of calcium, phosphorus, fats and enclosure is a combination of pond and cage other nutrient needed for human growth and cultures where natural food production can health. Therefore, it is believed that fish is more occur (Plumb, 1999). nutritious than meat (Dauda, 2010). Similarly, Amiengheme (2005) also enumerated the Depending on the stocking density, single importance of fish in human nutrition above species of fish can be reared in a pond or other animal protein. These include: multiple species of fish may grow in the same - Fish is a good source of thiamine as well as pond (Swift, 1993). In the integrated system of extremely rich source of vitamins (A, D and fish production, fish farming is usually E), vitamins B complex and minerals combined with either poultry or animal (calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine and husbandry where the excrement fertilizes fish selenium). ponds and stimulates food production (Ayinla et - Fish is also a good source of sulphur and al., 1989). The principal fish species stocked in essential amino acids such as lysine, leucine, Nigeria are Catfish: Clarias gariepinus 227 Grema et al: Update of fish production In Nigeria (Oresegun et al., 2007); Carp: Cyprinus carpio, meteorological conditions (Agbabi and Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Gymnarchus niloticus Fagbenro, 2006). These factors include and Tilapias: Oreochromis niloticus and Heterotis excessive rainfall and flooding, water niloticus (Anetekhai et al., 2004). pollution, oil spillage, excessive heat and drought (Moyle et al., 1990; Enabulele PROSPECT OF FISH FARMING 1999; Plumb, 1999). Other socio-cultural The fish industry remains the most unexplored constraints include theft, pilferage and investment sector in Nigeria compared with the fraud. These factors may be external (from importation of frozen fish in the domestic market individuals) or internal (from employees) (Kudi et al., 2008). A sure means of substantially (Odoye et al., 2005). solving the demand-supply gap is by embarking - Financial Factors: These are due to on widespread small scale fish production. The unstable government financial policies. Fish potential of fish farming in developing countries farmers require repeated loans, in addition is great, as it offers economical source of protein to loans for capital investment and start-up rich food. According to UN survey, the fish operational cost. Short term loans are meant production from aquaculture in 1985 stood at 10 for annual supplies of seed, feed, new million tons close behind beef, pork and poultry equipment and expansion (Odoye et al., (FAO, 1995). Comparatively, fish do not use 2005) much energy to maintain body heat or for - D i s e a s e F a c t o r s : F i s h b e i n g a locomotion and have a food to flesh conversion poikilothermic animal tend to react quickly rate of 1.5 to 1.0 as against beef's 7.0 to 1.0 and to environmental changes and this increases chicken's 2.3 to 1.0 (Nazri, 1991).