Breeding fish improves food security: Official

BREEDING and supplying more fish to revive the Department of Agriculture and Livestock’s (DAL) aquaculture programme will help improve food security in the country, an aquaculture consultant says.
Douglas Kawa said the revival of aquaculture would also provide an accessible and cheap source of protein for consumers as well as provide employment, create opportunities for businesses and support the Government’s focus on self-reliance.
Kawa said DAL’s aquaculture programme had been off for some years because of the lack of technical expertise.
He said the department was looking after genetically improved farm tilapia and imported fish feed for its stock but also sold the feed to farmers in Morobe.
“The commercial feed we import are subsidised through the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and in turn we sell them at a lower price which is K50 for a 20kg bag,” he said.
Kawa said they had distributed fingerlings but they died out over the last 12 years at Erap, outside Lae, and they were planning to rehabilitate and resupply the species again.
He said they would train farmers so they could start farming fish.
Kawa urged farmers to show interest in fish farming because they would provide the training on how to look after fish.
“We are open to farmers, stakeholders and everyone for training and other information,” he said.
Kawa and his team are currently operating at Erap working to revive the department’s aquaculture programme.