Potential is high in Tanzania fish market: farmer

INTERVIEW. Tanzania is rich in fisheries resources from marine, freshwater, rivers and wetland species.

However, the sector faces a shortage of fish supply. According to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Tanzania’s fisheries production has been in the range of 325,000 to 380,000 tonnes per annum while the demand is over 700,000.

About 85 per cent is from inland fisheries, 14 per cent from marine fisheries and just one per cent from aquaculture.

Lucas Malembo, who is an agricultural entrepreneur, is embarking on aquaculture.

After venturing in other kinds of farming in various parts of Tanzania, Mr Malembo is now establishing fish farming in Mwanza to tap the potentials of the sector. In this interview with BusinessWeek’s Elias Msuya, he explains how aquaculture may help in taming illegal fishing and boost productivity

QUESTION: What motivated you to invest in this type of fish farming?

ANSWER: Aquaculture has proven to be the profitable method compared to the traditional ways used by majority fishermen or dam fishing. In this method you keep some fish in a confined area feeding them for a specific period before fishing. When you compare this method with others, it is very profitable because you plan your fish to be sold in a specified period.

For example, a six-metre square cage takes 9,000 to 12,000 tilapias while in a dam you put a few fish in a large area.

In this method fish get enough oxygen compared to the dam method, in which you should change water periodically or put inlet and outlet water system. Also it is easier to feed fish as you put pellets in which 90 per cent will be eaten.

The increasing demand for fish has motivated me to invest in aquaculture. In Tanzania there is a demand of more than 300,000 tonnes of fish while we are producing more than 700,000 tonnes per annum. My intention is take that opportunity to capture that market.

What type of fish do you expect to keep?

I expect to keep tilapias which are common in the Lake Zone but I will also think of keeping Nile perch which are also common country wide.

Why do you just think of Nile perch? By the way, it’s not common to find people keeping that specie,s what’s wrong with it?

I personally did a simple research on Nile perch keeping and found out that, it is problematic during laying eggs because they tend to go deep down. So it is difficult to get those eggs. Experts say in order to keep this species, its younger ones should be taken in adolescence stage and also should be taken during the night because when you take it during the day they could go blind after contact direct sun.

I think the government institutions and stakeholders should invest Nile perch keeping to protect the species which is endangered by illegal fishing. It is highly demanded in the country and in the European markets. Marine and fisheries should come up with ideal research.

Are there some challenges that you are facing so far?

Of course, I got some challenges including capital. This project needs grand capital including licences and permits from different institution like Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (Tafiri), National Environment Management Council and village charges. All these permits would take about Sh10 million which does not include cage construction, fish to be kept and their food. The total cost could reach over Sh50 million.

So how could you recover the cost from the business?

I expect to keep about 45,000 tilapias in five cages (9,000 fish in each) and they will be sold at between Sh8,000 and Sh10,000 each after six months. That can generate profit after removing the feeding cost.

How could this project transform fishing industry in general?

I know that I am not the first one to introduce this method of fishing, but it would be a pilot project to other fishers to adopt this type of fishing. The government has been fighting illegal fishing so this could be the solution because fishers would use small areas for profitable fishing.