To meet up the shortfall in fish demand, statistics indicates that Nigeria spends over N50 billion annually on importation of frozen fish into the country, writes Emmanuel Ugwu of ThisDayOnline. According to the news organisation, this is irrespective of the fact that the nation has abundant resources to not only meet its fish protein needs, but also take a sizeable chunk of fish export in Africa, valued at over US$500 million in 2008.
Director of Fisheries in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Mr. A.V. Amire, made this known at the weekend in a key note address he presented at a workshop on fingerling production held at Monick Catfish Farm, Umueze Abayi Aba, Abia state, which is among the fingerling production centres set up by the Federal Government, reports ThisDayOnline.
The director whose address was read by the Chief Fisheries Officer, Mr. Obinna Anozie, said that President Umar Musa Yar'Adua was already putting in place “appropriate policy and institutional frame work to reduce the huge import bill on fish by promoting local production of fish.”
New Technology to Help Nigeria Meet Fish Demand
NIGERIA - The Federal Government has deployed a simple but proven technology to encourage private fish farmers master the art of fingerling production and hatchery in a bid to boost local fish production which presently stands at 600,000 metric tonnes per annum whereas the nations fish demand is about 2.66 million metric tonnes.
