unuftp.is Final Project 2016 EVALUATION OF THE STATUS OF TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus) FARMING IN THE GAMBIA (CENTRAL RIVER REGION): A CASE STUDY Momodou Saidyleigh Department of Fisheries, 6 Marina Parade Banjul. The Gambia. [email protected] Supervisor: Assistant Professor Olafur Sigurgeirsson Holar University College Holaskoli, 511 Saudarkrokur, Iceland [email protected] ABSTRACT Evaluation of the status of Oreochromis niloticus farming was conducted in CRR to identify challenges hindering the development of aquaculture in general and tilapia culture. A set of questions were developed and administered through interviews in the region. Fish farmers, support institutions in aquaculture and individuals were interviewed to seek their views on the challenges in fish culture in the region. The results revealed that most farmers in the study area had little or no knowledge of improved cultural practices in fish farming. Farmers collect seeds from wild in stocking the fish ponds with little or no water management practices. The hatchery in the area is small and less functional to meet the seed requirement of the farmers and due to limited knowledge of the staff and inadequate logistics to carry out breeding programmes. The ponds are generally small (100 m2) with high stocking density between 7 – 10 fingerlings/m2 characterised by high mortality rate of 10 – 15%. The regional total harvest yields were less than 2.5 tons/ha/cycle. Thus, the survey suggested urgent government and intervention of development partner’ in addressing the above constraints to improve aquaculture development in the region. This paper should be cited as: Saidyleigh, M. 2018. Evaluation of the status of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) farming in The Gambia (central river region): a case study. United Nations University Fisheries Training Programme, Iceland [final project]. http://www.unuftp.is/static/fellows/document/momodou16prf.pdf Saidyleigh TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................ 4 LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................................................. 5 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Status and importance of the fisheries in the Gambia ........................................................................... 6 1.3 Aquaculture in The Gambia .................................................................................................................. 7 1.3.1 Number of farms ............................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.2 Aquaculture practices ....................................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Central River Region............................................................................................................................. 9 1.5 Aims of the government and development projects ............................................................................ 10 1.6 Organisations promotion ..................................................................................................................... 10 1.7 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................................. 10 1.8 Rationale ............................................................................................................................................. 12 1.9 Goal and general objectives ................................................................................................................ 12 1.10 Specific Objectives.............................................................................................................................. 13 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................ 13 2.1 Tilapia Characteristics and Production................................................................................................ 13 2.2 Tilapia production in Sub-Saharan Africa ........................................................................................... 14 2.3 Aquaculture Challenges and Success in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) ................................................... 14 2.4 Institutional challenges and promotional policies ............................................................................... 15 2.5 Pond Construction ............................................................................................................................... 15 2.6 Stocking Density in Fish Ponds .......................................................................................................... 15 2.7 Hatchery Management ........................................................................................................................ 16 2.8 Fertilization of ponds .......................................................................................................................... 16 2.9 Feed and Feeding in Fish Ponds .......................................................................................................... 16 2.10 Maintaining Water Quality in fish farms ............................................................................................ 17 2.11 Harvesting Techniques ........................................................................................................................ 17 2.12 Keeping Fish Farm records ................................................................................................................. 17 3 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 17 4 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.1 Production and Productivity ................................................................................................................ 19 4.2 Feed and feeding ................................................................................................................................. 21 4.3 Water Management Practices .............................................................................................................. 22 4.4 Harvesting ........................................................................................................................................... 23 4.5 Marketing and storage ......................................................................................................................... 24 4.6 Farm Records and Farmer Training .................................................................................................... 25 4.7 The views of support Institutions and individuals on prospects and challenges in fish farming in CRR. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..25 UNU-Fisheries Training Program 2 Saidyleigh The prospects ............................................................................................................................................... 25 The challenges ............................................................................................................................................. 27 5 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................................................. 28 5.1 Pond construction ................................................................................................................................ 29 5.2 Pond management ............................................................................................................................... 29 5.3 Pond productivity ................................................................................................................................ 30 5.4 Feed and feeding ................................................................................................................................. 30 5.5 Cost of feed ......................................................................................................................................... 31 5.6 Water quality and management ........................................................................................................... 31 5.7 Harvesting and sales ............................................................................................................................ 32 5.8 Record keeping ................................................................................................................................... 32 5.9 Know-how ........................................................................................................................................... 33 5.10 The prospects and challenges .............................................................................................................. 34 6 CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................................................................