Abdul: Man who earns a living through fish farming

Mwanza. Analysts see fish farming or aquaculture as one of the best ways to generate income and curb illegal fishing on the shores of lakes and other water bodies in the country.
But a report from Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) indicates that fish farming, considered by some economic experts as a lucrative venture, in Tanzania is still largely a part-time activity.
According to the report, only 17,000 Tanzanians are involved in aquaculture, with 14 100 of them engaged in freshwater fish farming and the rest in seaweed farming.
”The industry is dominated by integrated freshwater fish farming whereby each farmer owns an average of one small fish pond. Mariculture is dominated by seaweed farming where farmers own small farms,” reads the report.
It says the industry is still a subsistence operation characterised by poor households in rural areas where farmers have little knowledge on how to practise fish farming.
In the report, FAO also faults the government over the failure by Tanzanians to see fish farming as a lucrative venture, saying it has done little to promote the industry.
According to the UN body, the contribution of the aquaculture sector to the national food security and economic development is still insignificant.
“The annual farmed fish production is extrapolated at 1,522.80 metric tonnes, which is about 0.435 per cent of the average annual fish produce, which is around 350,000 tonnes,” reads the report.
A 27-year-old entrepreneur here has joined hands with the government in the fight against illegal fishing in the Lake Victoria by training fellow residents on how to set up fish farms.
He has been enlightening the community on various issues pertaining to the industry, including the use of proper harvesting equipment.
Mr Athuman Abdul has established fish ponds near Lake Victoria so as to have access to  water from the lake.
“Had I knew that fish farming was lucrative business, I could have ventured into it seven or so years ago,” he says, smiling.
Mr Abdul, who acquired fish farming skills at Nyegezi Fisheries Training Center here a few years ago, says his initial plan was to be employed at one of the major companies in the country.
However, he says, through fish farming he has managed to overcome various challenges he was grappling with through fish farming. Mr Abdul runs the project on a one-acre land in Nera area, Nyamagana District in Mwanza Region along the Airport Road.
He says that he sells fish from his ponds to processing factories that have, for years, been relying on fish from the Lake Victoria.
In efforts to encourage more residents in the Lake Zone region benefit from fish farming, he has been conducting training sessions on the business for learning institutions, including primary and secondary schools.
He says pupils and students from various schools in the region have been regularly visiting his fish ponds.
He has advised the government to take keen interest in promoting fish farming so that many Tanzanians, especially the youth, venture into the business.
“In the recent past, many people in  Nyamagana and in the neighbouring districts have been shunning fishing in the Lake Victoria to effectively engage fish farming,” he says.
Many people in the district, he says,  have established many fish ponds in their respective areas.
According to him, he bought over 15,000 tilapia fingerings from a hatching factory in May last year. The fish were going at  Sh300 each.
Mr Abdul says he had a capital of Sh4.7 million when he started the project with three fish farming ponds.
He had raised part of the money from selling banana (Sh2.7 million) while his parents gave him Sh2 million.
The project did so well in the first year of its ‘launch.’ Mr Abdul was so amazed and worked even harder on the business.
His project is now valued at Sh25 million. There are more than 50,000 fish in his ponds.
He said that the piece of land where he practices fish farming was initially the home to criminals.
He thanks authorities in the district for endorsing his request to establish the project in the area.
“The Nyamagana District Council gave me the support I needed to successfully run the project. He instructed relevant authorities to allocate a piece of land for me,” he recalls.
“The area was home of criminals. Many residents in the district, including the authorities, are now applauding me for  turning it (piece of land) into a productive one and safe area,” he ssays.
According to him, he rears tilapia fish in the 18 established fish ponds which have  the capacity to produce over 50,000  mature fish after every eight months.
The fish go at Sh10, 000 or Sh15,000 depending on the size.
“The demand for fish is increasing in the country due to the dwindling fish stock in Lake Victoria because of illegal fishing,” he says.
Improper fishing practices has led to destruction of fish breeding grounds, according to Mr Abdul.
“The dwindling fish stock in the lake is worrying. It’s because of the rampant use of illegal gear, which capture both mature and immature fish, including their eggs,” he says.
Beach seining, mono filament and use of undersized nets are the most common illegal methods of capturing fish.
“I sell fish to various fish processing factories in the region, including Vic Fish factory, Nile Perch and Tan Perch,” Mr Abdul says.
He says the fish he sells to other institutions in other regions, mainly Shinyanga and Mara, go at Sh10, 000 or Sh15,000 per  kilogramme.
He names some of the challenges he faces as thieves.
To address the problem, Mr Abdul says he has hired security guards from Rampart Security Service Ltd at a cost of Sh400, 000 per month.
Mr Gilbert Pancras is among the beneficiaries of the fish farming training offered by Mr Abdul.
He says he is now running fish farming in Buswelu area, Ilemela District in the region.
He says he has established three fish ponds with an average size of 10  by 15 metres.
Recently, he harvested over 500 matured tilapia fish and made a profit of  more than  Sh3 million.
According to FAO, subsistence farming has provided the residents with employment opportunities as a source of income.
The United Nations organisation says the industry has also paved the way for  environment protection.
According to FAO, a number of residents in the region have refrained from illegal fishing after venturing into fish farming.
Recently, the minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Charles Tizeba, expressed concern over dwindling fish catches in Lake Victoria, which currently stands at 370,000 units per year.
He said the demand for fish consumption was increasing with the current population of about 50 million people growing at 2.6 pc per annum.