The Director of Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries at theNational Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, NaFAA, Mr. Zizi Kpadeh is encouraging private sector investment in the Aquaculture sector to boost fish production across Liberia. Director Kpadeh believes that for the Liberian Aquaculture sector to develop Liberians and other nationals should see the need to invest potentially in the industry to create jobs on a large scale and enhance food security.
The NaFAA Aquaculture Director emphasized that private sector involvement is crucial for developing the aquaculture industry, which will increase fish supply in local markets, leveraging the abundant water sources and other natural resources throughout Liberia.
Speaking recently during the start of an eight-day Aquaculture Training Workshop place in Kakata and Gbarnga cities respectively, Director Kpadeh encouraged the fish farmers in attendance to take advantage of the training opportunity provided by NaFAA with funding from the World Bank through its Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP).
Commenting on one of the reasons for the conduct of the eight-day fish farmers’ training, Director Kpadeh said the government has been interested in ensuring that the local fish farmers are capacitated to adequately invest in the Aquaculture sector for the sole purpose of expanding it, creating jobs and increasing fish supply on the local market, thus reducing the high importation of fish.
At the same time, Director Kpadeh has disclosed that the Government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority with funding from the World Bank under the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project will boost Aquaculture development soon.
Director Kpadeh mentioned that with support from the World Bank, the Klay Hatchery in Bomi County will begin to undergo tremendous infrastructure reforms that will transform the facility into a state-of-the-art Aquaculture center in the country.
He mentioned adaptive and primary research, testing and analysis of water, fish feed, and disease among others are some of the activities that would be conducted at the Klay Hatchery following its transformation under the World Bank Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries project.
Additionally, the eight-day Aquaculture training is being facilitated by AquaBioTech Group, a leading international aquaculture development firm from Malta.
The principal Aquaculture Consultant and Project Manager of AquaBioTech Group, Adrian Hartley,cautioned the participants to take the eight-day aquaculture training seriously as topics to be discussed would help improve their management skills.
Hartley highlighted fish biology, tilapia timeline, feeding techniques, site selection, pond construction and maintenance, feed production, nutrition, water quality, site security, fish health, and sexing of fish as some of the several topics that were being discussed during the aquaculture training program.
AquaBioTech Group Thursday, June 27, 2024, commenced the practical sessions of the training initially at the Gborfellah Farm in Kakata. Farmers and Extension Officers were drilled through proper site selection, feed preparation, and water quality management. There, the trainees learned to use the Sacchi disk to measure the turbidity of the water, a water testing kit to rest other water parameters like pH, salinity, alkalinity, and oxygen, and a topography lens to assess sites for pond construction.
The training is designed to develop aquaculture and enhance the technical capacity of fish farmers and the
National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) technicians and extension officers. It is also intended to ensure the dissemination of knowledge of core aquaculture components that will improve aquaculture yields by refining the common practices.
Participants are drawn from several aquaculture cooperatives including, the Bong County Aquaculture Cooperative Society, Nimba County Aquaculture Cooperative Society, and Lofa County Aquaculture Cooperative Societies.
Moreover, the eight days training will be followed by a one-day intensive “Aquaculture development” workshop to engage stakeholders in aquaculture development through the sharing of best practices across Africa, information on the most recent developments in Liberia and elsewhere, connecting professionals with interests in the sector, and discussing cooperation opportunities.
The one-day event under the theme, “Aquaculture Development Day” in Liberia, is jointly organized by the Government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority and AquaBioTech Group, a leading international aquaculture development firm from Malta.
AquaBioTech Group is an international company with clients and projects globally in over fifty-five countries. It is undertaking a variety of aquaculture, fisheries, and aquatic environmental projects through its regional offices and selected partners worldwide.
Most of the company’s work involves the marine or aquatic environment, including aquaculture developments, market research and intelligence, project feasibility assessments, finance acquisition, project management, technology sourcing, and technical support and training.
