CHAPTER 9
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AFRICAN RESEARCH NETWORK
FOR THE INTEGRATION OF AQUACULTURE AND IRRIGATION
CONTENTS
LIST OF ACRONYMS
9.1 Identification of National Institutions to Become Involved in the
African Research Network for the Integration of Aquaculture and Irrigation - Phase1
9.2 Coordination with Existing African Networks
9.3 Future Actions to be Taken for the Establishment of the New Network
9.3.1 Official invitation
9.3.2 Preparation of a national review/synthesis
9.3.3 Seminar
9.4 Potential Research Subjects for the New Network
9.4.1 General research subjects
9.4.2 Undrainable fish farming structures
9.4.3 Ponds with a high to very high water exchange
9.4.4 Ponds in waterlogged areas
9.4.5 Ponds in terrain depressions or borrowing pits
9.4.6 Rice-cum-fish culture
9.4.7 Fish pen culture in irrigation canals
9.4.8 Fish cage culture in irrigation canals
9.4.9 Culture-based fishery in irrigation canals
9.4.10 Small reservoir fishery
LIST OF ACRONYMS
AGRITEX |
Department of Agricultural, Technical and Extension Services
(Zimbabwe) |
ALCOM |
Aquaculture for Local Community Development Programme
(Zimbabwe) |
APCAM |
Assemblée permanente des Chambers dAgriculture du
Mali/Permanent Assembly for the Agricultural Chambers of Mali |
ARID |
Association Régionale pour lIrrigation et le
Drainage/Regional Association for Irrigation and Drainage |
DNAER |
Direction nationale de laménagement et de
léquipement rural (Mali) |
DNAMR |
Direction nationale de lappui au monde rural (Mali) |
DNPWM |
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management
(Zimbabwe) |
DRSS |
Department of Research and Specialist Services (Zimbabwe) |
DOF |
Department of Fisheries |
FANR |
Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Sector (SADC Regional
Food Security Programme) |
FARMESA |
Farm-level Applied Research Methods for East and Southern
Africa Programme |
IER |
Institut dEconomie Rurale (Mali) |
MAFF |
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (Zambia) |
SADC |
Southern African Development Community |
SPFS |
Special Programme for Food Security (FAO) |
SWB |
Small Water Body |
9.1 Identification of National Institutions to Become Involved in the
African Research Network for the Integration of Aquaculture and Irrigation - Phase 1
During the mission national institutions apt to become initially members of the new
research network have been identified in each of the countries visited, except in Zimbabwe
where a regional development programme (hopefully to be institutionalized within SADC in
the medium term) has been proposed.
The recommended institutions are the following:
Country/town |
Selected institutions |
Remarks |
Burkina Faso Bobo-Dioulasso |
Institut de Développement Rural (IDR) |
University structure responsible for training/research in
agriculture, forestry and fisheries |
Mali Bamako |
Institut dEconomie Rurale with support from
APCAM/DNAER/DNAMR |
Development structures to be closely associated with IER
responsible for agricultural research, including forestry and fisheries |
Ghana Accra |
Water Research Institute (WRI) |
Water and water-resources related research are integrated.
Aquaculture research at Aquaculture Research and Development Centre, Akosombo |
Zambia Chilanga/Lusaka |
Mount Makulu Regional Research Centre with support from MAFF
Dept. of Fisheries (research) |
- part of National Agric. Res. Network
- located next to DOF headquarters
- in same Ministry as DOF
- hosts SPFS and FARMESA Progr.
|
Zimbabwe Harare |
ALCOM Programme with support from AGRITEX (irrigation), DNPWM
and DRSS |
- FAO executed project
- develops SADC water resources database
- good experience with networking in Information Service and SWB Unit
- regional authority on small-scale aquaculture and SWB enhancement
|
9.2 Coordination with Existing African Networks
As mentioned earlier, some networks already exist or are being initiated in Africa,
specialized in irrigation, regional development or fisheries.
The new research network for aquaculture integration into irrigation schemes should
become closely associated with these networks and in particular with the:
- ARID (irrigation/drainage) network (Chapter 7, Section 7.1);
- FARMESA network (Chapter 6, Section 4.4);
- SADC/FANR network (Chapter 6, Section 4.5);
- ALCOM/SWB network (Chapter 6, Section 4.1);
- FAO aquatic farming systems information network to be soon initiated (Coche and Collins,
1997).
Future closer collaboration with these networks might be useful for the organization of
seminars/workshops, for group training and for dissemination of information through
existing channels such as newsletters and publications.
9.3 Future Actions to be Taken for the Establishment of the New
Network
From discussions during the mission with people directly interested in participating in
the new network, it appears that the following strategy could be adopted for the
establishment of this network:
9.3.1 Official invitation
An official invitation should be addressed by FAO to the Director of the selected
institutions to participate in the Seminar indicated below.
9.3.2 Preparation of a national review/synthesis
Authors contracts should be issued (max. six weeks WAE within a period
of three months) in 1998 for the preparation of national reviews/syntheses according
to a standard framework by each of the institutions having expressed an interest to
participate in the Seminar, with or without support from other institutions. Such
synthesis should review/analyse/comment on past and present experiences and results with
aquaculture, irrigation (research/development) and their integration, considering
technological, sociological and economic aspects as well as existing constraints for
research and development.
9.3.3 Seminar
Seminar to be organized either in Ghana, Accra (FAO Regional Office) or in
Zimbabwe (FAO Sub-regional Office and networking experience in ALCOM), with the objectives
of:
- reviewing the development/research constraints existing in the participating countries
in particular following the outline agreed for the national reviews, and on such basis:
- to discuss the future organization responsibilities and functioning of the new network,
in particular from the point of view of using two languages, English and French;
- to agree on applied research priorities and a research programme for the new network to
support the development of the integration of aquaculture and irrigation;
- to recommend how such research could be carried out in the field in each of the involved
countries, with particular attention to the human and financial resources to be mobilized
to this effect;
- to recommend how best close links could be established with other existing African
networks of interest.
Participants in this seminar should include representatives from the countries
involved, directly involved in research and/or development of irrigation, aquaculture and
SWB fisheries. Representatives of other existing networks should also be invited to attend
to share their past experiences with networking.
9.4 Potential Research Subjects for the New Network
9.4.1 General research subjects
- sociology:
evaluation of adoption constraints and potential benefits of
integration;
- economics
: evaluation of potential benefits of integration;
- availability of juvenile fish, either captured from the wild or locally
produced (technologies for capture/production/transport; seasonality; economics);
- recycling
of locally available wastes/by-products (technologies for
composting/processing/ utilization as pond fertilizer or fish feed);
- control of fish thefts, especially in irrigated plots and ponds;
- protection against predation (birds, etc.);
- protection of fish farming structures against damages by livestock and
soil erosion;
- participatory design of integrated system;
- appropriate extension methodology;
- appropriate pond management options, adapted to integrated fish farming
and irrigation (greater water level fluctuations, fish reproduction, production level,
inputs application, physico-chemical water quality, etc.);
- effects of fish farming on vectors of waterborne diseases (especially
snails/schistosomiasis and mosquito larvae/malaria).
9.4.2 Undrainable fish farming structures
(Table below)
- fish harvesting techniques;
- water lifting devices for draining ponds;
- fish population dynamics.
9.4.3 Ponds with a high to very high water exchange
(Table below)
- water physico-chemical characteristics;
- intensification of organic fertilization;
- fish feeds and feeding aspects;
- appropriate fish species, feeding on macrophytes, bottom fauna and/or detritus rather
than plankton.
Drainage and water exchange characteristics of fish farming structures
Fish farming structure |
Gravity drainage |
Water exchange rate |
(refer to Section 8.4) |
Yes |
Partly |
No |
Nil Low |
High |
Very high |
1. Paddy field (with rice or not) |
· |
(· ) |
(· ) |
· |
- |
- |
2. Pond
upstream from irrig. plots
|
· |
(· ) |
- |
· |
(· ) |
- |
|
· |
(· ) |
(· ) |
· |
- |
- |
|
· |
· |
· |
· |
- |
- |
- next to surelevated canal
|
· |
(· ) |
(· ) |
· |
- |
- |
|
· |
(· ) |
- |
· |
- |
- |
|
· |
· |
· |
· |
- |
- |
- as intermed. water storage
|
· |
· |
- |
- |
- |
· |
|
· |
· |
· |
· |
- |
- |
|
- |
- |
· |
- |
- |
· |
- directly fed from irrig. canal
|
· |
(· ) |
(· ) |
· |
- |
- |
3. Pens (fenced canal areas) |
· |
· |
· |
- |
· |
· |
4. Cages (floating/removable) |
· |
- |
- |
- |
· |
· |
5. Irrigation canal |
· |
· |
· |
- |
· |
· |
6. Small irrigation reservoir |
- |
· |
· |
· |
- |
- |
Rem
.: (·) possibility exists but should be avoided if possible;
use of pumping necessary.
9.4.4 Ponds in waterlogged areas
- water physico-chemical characteristics;
- seasonal water table fluctuations.
9.4.5 Ponds in terrain depressions or borrowing pits
- design of water control structures;
- design of pond;
- water physico-chemical characteristics.
9.4.6 Rice-cum-fish culture
- minimum water depth tolerated by farmed fish;
- biological control of weeds by farmed fish;
- potential of Azolla pinata (small floating fern) to control weeds, to fix
atmospheric nitrogen in soil and to be used as fish food; effect on water dissolved oxygen
content);
- technology for pesticide application to rice plants with limited effect on fish;
- effects of used pesticides on fish health and fish quality for human consumption;
- rice plot design for fish farming (trenches/sump);
- harvesting techniques;
- effects of fish farming on rice health and production, including Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) aspects.
9.4.7 Fish pen culture in irrigation canals
- end-barriers design to guarantee minimum required flow at all times;
- construction materials for screens;
- legal implications (potential conflicts due to reduced water flow);
- social implications;
- fish harvesting technology;
- effect of fish pen on downstream water quality;
- effect of fish pen on hydraulic characteristics of canal (e.g., siltation and water
discharge capacity);
- effect of fish pen on aquatic weeds.
Further discussion on this subject is included in Redding and Midlen, 1991.
9.4.8 Fish cage culture in irrigation canals
- design of floating fish cages;
- construction materials (rigid plastic or synthetic netting);
- legal implications (downstream water users);
- social implications;
- effect of fish cages on downstream water quality;
- effect of fish cages on hydraulic characteristics of canal (e.g., siltation and water
discharge capacity).
Further discussion on this subject is included in Redding and Midlen, 1991
9.4.9 Culture-based fishery in irrigation canals
- harvesting techniques;
- fish population dynamics;
- fish migrations in irrigation canals;
- fishery enhancement techniques;
- supplementary feeding potential;
- controlled ranching with imprinted fish;
- legal implications (ownership of fish, etc.)
- effect on weeds.
Further discussion on this subject is included in Redding and Midlen, 1991
9.4.10 Small reservoir fishery
- methodology to estimate potential sustainable yield based on key indicators which are
readily measurable (adapted ALCOM methodology);
- community-based management methods (adapted ALCOM guidelines);
- methods for fishery enhancement through introduction of new species, periodic stocking
of existing species, fertilization and/or feeding;
- selective harvesting techniques;
- culture-based fish breeding structures and methods for SWB.