One of the main activities of the African Regional Aquaculture Centre established in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, under the UNDP/FAO Regional Project RAF/76/009 (Establishment of an African Regional Aquaculture Centre) is multidisciplinary research to solve problems encountered in large-scale application of aquaculture systems and to improve the technologies involved. The farming systems selected for research are those that were selected for production programmes in the national ten-year development plans prepared by representatives of countries that participated in the first Regional Workshop on Aquaculture Planning organised by the FAO/UNDP Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme (ADCP) in Accra, Ghana, July 1975.
These systems, in order of priority, are:
(i) culture of Tilapia spp. and Clarias lazera in freshwater ponds;
(ii) fish culture in brackishwater ponds;
(iii) culture in coastal areas;
(iv) fish culture in open waters;
(v) fish culture in combination with animal husbandry; and
(vi) shrimp culture in coastal ponds.
The outline programme of research was formulated by a task force consisting of the following:
Mr. M.A. Afinowi - Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research
Dr. K.W. Chow -FAO
Dr. A.G. Coche - FAO
Dr. S. Dadzie - FAO
Dr. V.G. Jhingran - FAO
Dr. T.V.R. Pillay - FAO
in consultation with a number of people who have direct knowledge of the problems faced in aquaculture development in the region, including Mr. B.F. Dada, Director, Federal Department of Fisheries, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, and Dr. W.Q.-B. West, Regional Fisheries Officer, FAO, Accra, Ghana.
In formulating the programme, the task force took into account the fact that the Centre is to operate from its temporary headquarters at the Rural Development Training Centre at Aluu (Port Harcourt, Rivers State) making use of the facilities at the Buguma Brackishwater Aquaculture Station and fresh water at a selected aquaculture station near Port Harcourt, pending the construction of a freshwater farm and permanent buildings for the Centre on the site acquired at Aluu adjacent to the Centre's temporary headquarters. It was noted that some expansion of facilities at the Buguma Station is already underway and some freshwater pond facilities can be developed in the near future at the permanent site of the Centre with the assistance of the Engineering Unit of the Rural Development Training Centre.
The programme of research described in this document is planned to be implemented in two phases; the first phase, which will consist of a start-up period of two years, followed by a second phase (five years) of intensive experimentation and testing of results under different conditions in national centres linked to the Regional Centre. Such a phasing was considered necessary because of the time it would take for (i) all the physical facilities to be developed, (ii) all the scientific staff agreed to be provided by the host government to become available and (iii) the secondment of scientific staff by other participating governments for research. It was also recognized that during the initial stages, the entire international staff of the Centre will have to devote a considerable part of their time to the training programme and to the building-up of laboratory, library and other support services,
From its discussions with extension workers and planning officials the task force realized that a major constraint to aquaculture development in African countries is the widespread scepticism about the economic viability of aquatic farming. The success of rural aquaculture programmes underway at present is judged more in terms of their contribution to food production and rural employment, rather than the financial return on investment. This is not to say that there is no economically viable aquaculture in Africa, but rather that there are, unfortunately, very few documented cases. Obviously, in the absence of the required documentation it has become extremely difficult to attract the required investment in aquaculture, either in the private or public sector. The task force, therefore, recommends a high priority to be given to (a) experimental work directed toward maximizing the economic efficiency of widely adopted farming systems, such as the pond culture of tilapia; and (b) demonstration of the most economic methods of farming at the Centre and eventually in the national centres linked to it. The Regional Centre needs to develop essential capability in economic studies and ensure that appropriate economic measurements form an integral part of every experimental design.
Taking into account the recognized urgent need for demonstrating the economics of farming, the task force considered the species of fish to be selected for studies and the culture techniques that should receive priority in research. In so far as tilapia are concerned, the main concern would be to grow them to a marketable size in the minimum period of time, and before they begin to breed. In brackishwater ponds built on mangrove soil, which tends to. be acidic and often peaty, the development of benthic algae and other organisms or even adequate quantities of plankton, cannot be expected for the first few years after pond construction, due to the time it takes for soil conditions to improve. In such circumstances artificial feeding appears to be the best means of obtaining rapid growth so that the fish would attain marketable size in a reasonably short period of time. The task force therefore recommends a major effort at the Centre, to formulate, prepare and test feeds based on ingredients locally available in African countries. Besides being nutritionally adequate, the feeds should also be economically acceptable. Even if inexpensive feeds cannot be made, it is imperative that feed costs do not exceed acceptable levels in the overall farming costs. The Centre should establish a well-equipped nutrition and feed laboratory with a pilot feed mill. The task force noted that the host institution (National Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research) has the essential equipment in its laboratories in Lagos and a staff member has already been trained in feed technology at the course organized by ADCP in 1978. The Centre should also undertake a survey of all available feed ingredients in Nigeria and other countries in the region, and determine their nutrient values, so that the appropriate modifications can be made in feed formulations based on the availability and costs of ingredients when the need arises.
Probably because tilapia, which is the fish most widely cultivated in Africa, breeds freely, not enough attention has so far been paid to controlled breeding and hatchery production of fry. In most of the fanning systems to be investigated at the Centre, with only the possible exception of the mangrove oyster, the development of reliable methods of breeding and mass-rearing of larvae appear to be essential. The Centre has therefore to develop adequate facilities and expertise for work on these aspects. While detailed genetic work can probably be started only during the second phase of the Centre's programme of research, identification of stocks or strains should start earlier by obtaining brood stock from different river systems or other natural habitats, and breeding and rearing them separately to determine their growth and behavioural characteristics. This would provide information on the variability of significant culture characteristics to plan future experiments in selection and hybridization.
In the present state of aquaculture in Africa, it is believed that diseases do not present a major problem. However, with the adoption of more intensive farming methods and large-scale commercial operations, risks of losses due to diseases or environmental changes may become more significant. It is therefore considered essential for the Centre to develop a disease laboratory with adequate facilities for diagnosis treatment and overall health monitoring work. Local staff should receive specialized training and guidance in the establishment of a fish health programme.
Cost of construction of fish farms and other culture installations form a major element of investment in aquaculture and it is believed that high construction costs may often be responsible for the low returns on investment in some countries of Africa. Studies at the Centre should therefore pay special attention to developing farm designs and construction methods that will minimize capital costs. Suitable farm implements and installations also have to be designed to reduce operating costs. A small engineering unit and workshop would therefore be essential for the Centre's activities.
The development of adequate capabilities in economic studies, farm engineering, breeding and hatchery techniques, nutrition and feed technology, pathology and fish health, besides overall farm management, would enable the Centre to undertake the multidisciplinary research required for solving the problems encountered in aquaculture, which will be described in later sections.
Besides research that the Centre would carry out by itself, there are certain studies for which cooperation of other institutions or agencies will have to be sought. The most important of these will be on public health hazards that may be associated with aquaculture. Whether fish ponds will cause the spread of common water-borne diseases, such as malaria and schistosomiasis, will have to be determined with the help of public health scientists, and suitable pond management and other measures developed to combat the problem, if necessary.
