How fish farming can be profitable

Last Saturday, the virtual Seeds of Gold Farm Clinic tackled the role of fish farming in bridging production and consumption deficits. Experts explained how aquaculture operators can benefit from their business.

According to Andrew Izaara, a senior research officer in aquaculture at the Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MuZardi), Uganda has a deficit of 1.13 metric tonnes, which must be covered by 2030 yet the lakes are strained because of poor and illegal fishing activities.

In order to promote aquaculture, the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) and sister research institutes, the Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institutes (Zardi), is now working with fish farmers and feed suppliers to boost the aquaculture industry.
But there is more to starting. Seeds of Gold looks at the five key areas farmers can consider.

Is it the right business?
Izaara explains that the purpose for establishing a farm forms a key component in the farm’s survival. Fish farms, according to Izaara, start purposely for fun, food or commercial reasons.

According to him, this influences the kind of fish to be farmed. “It is important for one to weigh the reasons for starting a farm and justify it is the right activity for them,” Izaara says.

Izaara says this stage is key in understanding the start-up and ongoing costs, as well as the market. In brief, a farmer needs tanks and pumps, fish food, storage space, refrigerators, water aerators, water testing kits and frye.

These costs add up on land for establishing ponds, excavating the ponds as well as licences. Fish farming, like most farm operations, requires hard work and exists in a supply and demand market, he adds.

Farming system
There are two farming methods - conventional and unconventional. Commercial fish farming is done unconventionally in ponds, cages, tanks (plastic and concrete), damline ponds, aquaponics and recycling aquaculture systems. Each system is determined by many factors, including the scale one is interested in.

Once you decide on the system, you need to determine the fish you want to farm depending on the market. In the case of fillets, the percentage yield of tilapia is 30 per cent and yet there are types that yield more. Izaara says: “The market should inform the type of fish to be grown.”

The catfish and tilapia are the most accepted fish in the market and they are adapted to fresh water with a fantastic taste. The national fisheries institute has also domesticated the Barbus fish (Kisingya), which can grow up to five kilogrammes making it a candidate for commercial production.

Izaara notes that one must also have basic technical competence. “Don’t rush into fish farming without knowledge of the enterprise just because someone you know is farming it or someone tells you, it is very lucrative,” he says.

Seed quality
Fingerlings or frye determine the quality of the fish you are going to harvest. Research stations are ensuring the production of high quality fingerlings that are of uniform size, without deformation, can swim properly and in the same species.  

Fish of the same sex are recommended for commercial farmers. Males are preferred because they grow at 30 per cent faster than females. It is important to note that females lose growing time and body weight while laying eggs. Good seed is obtained from an approved source.

To ensure one is getting the right number of fish, you need a digital weighing scale and bucket with water. Then you put fish in the bucket and record the weight which you divide by the number of the fish to determine the body weight of the fish. This is also helpful in determining the feed ratio.  

To determine how much fish to put into a unit, for tilapia, three fish per square metre in a pond is recommended. While in a cage, 78 fish per cubic metre is the ideal number. “If you overstock, the fish will find difficulties in growing,” Izaara says. If properly stocked, fish should be mature between seven and nine months weighing between 300 and 500 grammes if grown in ponds and 450 and 500 grammes in cages.

Izaara estimates that 5,000 fingerlings of catfish will cost Shs2m while stock of the same number of tilapia will cost Shs1.5m. Feeding can take at least Shs2m up to the time of harvesting (if properly administered), which is eight to 10 months.
“Such an investment requires care in sourcing the seed to reduce costs,” says Izaara.

Quality of the water
Fish grows in water and thus the quality of the water matters a lot. Izaara says fish water has to be of a particular quality and if it is not up to the task, your fish may end up growing poorly, feeding badly or dying, in some cases. So, you need to ascertain the quality of the water. 

This is done by specialised equipment such as a water metre which can measure oxygen, ammonia, temperature, conductivity and acidity.
 
Feeds
Fish food is classified in mainly two types; the natural and artificial. Artificial feeds, which must be administered in fish farms, can be complete feeds and supplementary feeds.

Supplementary feeds are used where one is involved in fertilising while complete feeds are the quality feeds that help fish grow.  Complete feeds are made of carefully selected ingredients to provide all the nutritional requirements (vitamins, minerals, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) of the fish.

They are made in a form that is easy for fish to feed and digest. According to Ivan Ssabwe, an aquaculturist with Koudijs, a Dutch feeds company, feeds can take up to 70 per cent of the total costs of fish production. “That means careful selection of feeds,” Ssabwe says.

Complete feeds refer to how many kilogrammes of feed the farmer will give to fish over the production period. Fish feeds, which are mostly pellets are supposed to float but Ssabwe explains that in Uganda there is lack of equipment to make such feeds. This is the reason farmers scour overseas markets as far as Brazil, Vietnam and China.

Getting the right feeds is not enough, according to Ssabwe, who explains that one must be able to train fish for feeding points which helps all fish to feed properly.

Market
Fish goes bad in about 18 hours after leaving water. Although value addition is important in extending the lifespan of fresh fish up to 24 months, Izaara explains that it is a costly venture. He says small-scale fish farmers need to sell fresh fish because stricter trade and travel restrictions, especially amidst the Covid – 19 pandemic, have made importing and exporting fresh fish more complicated and expensive.

FlightRadar24 estimates that in March, global flights fell by more than 50 per cent compared to the year before.
With freight prices rising, coupled with increased shipping time, it means less profit for fish farmers.

Feeding
Weigh the feed bags on arrival. Store your bags in a dry place off the ground.In the morning, pick the right size and weigh the feed based on your feeding tables.

Place each bucket with each fishpond - call the fish; always feed from the same point and then spread over the pond to observe if the fish is okay. For catfish, start feeding immediately; feed four times a day. For tilapia, wait till 9.00am and feed three times a day.

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