IMPROVING FINGERLING SUPPLY AND FISH NUTRITION FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMS: A REVIEW INLAND AQUACULTURE IN NIGERIA

IMPROVING FINGERLING SUPPLY AND FISH NUTRITION FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMS: A REVIEW INLAND AQUACULTURE IN NIGERIA

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 
Aquaculture is one method for bridging the gap between declining fish availability and growing global food fish demand. Africa, especially Nigeria, has limited aquaculture heritage and has been hampered by a variety of external issues that have hampered efficient management and development despite investment. The management of aquatic food organisms is known as aquaculture. The demand arose as a result of a drop in supply from ocean fisheries due to overfishing, habitat damage, and pollution. Aquaculture has been shown to be a low-cost source of protein (FAO, 2013). According to FAO (2002), an estimated 840 million people lack appropriate food access, with around 25% of these individuals living in Sub-Saharan Africa. As the world's population rises, putting greater strain on natural resources, more people are likely to become food insecure, lacking access to a sufficient amount of safe and nutritious food for normal growth, development, and an active and healthy life (Pretty,1999).

Low agricultural productivity, widespread economic stagnation, chronic political instability, rising environmental degradation, and extreme poverty characterize a number of Sub-Saharan African nations. Given this consequence, it is critical to supply the poor and hungry with a low-cost and easily accessible technique for increasing food production while utilizing less land per capita and less water without causing more environmental harm (Olurin and Somorin 2016).

Aquaculture growth in Nigeria has been driven by social and economic goals such as improving rural nutrition, generating additional income, diversifying revenue activities, and creating jobs. This is especially true in rural places where economic options are restricted. Only recently has aquaculture been seen as an activity capable of filling national fish supply gaps and so lowering fish imports. According to Edwards (2018), statistics show that Nigeria is the greatest African aquaculture producer, with an annual output of about 15,489 tonnes, closely followed by Egypt with an annual output of over 5,645 tonnes. Only five other nations generate more than 1,000 tonnes each: Zambia, Madagascar, Togo, Kenya, and Sudan.

According to Ekunwe and Emokaro (2009), Nigeria imports around 560,000 tonnes of fish worth approximately $400 million per year, whereas local fish supply in Nigeria is approximately 400,000 tonnes. The fisheries industry accounts for around 2% of national GDP, 40% of animal protein consumption, and a significant share of employment, particularly in rural regions; the sector provides a primary source of income for over three million Nigerians. Many technical issues occur when producing fingerlings in the pond or hatchery system. Among these are: a lack of and poor management of brood stock, particularly feeding and handling; and inadequate record keeping of all operations related to induced spawning, egg care, fry care, feeding, and general fingerling management (Atanda, 2006). Other aspects that Adeyemo, Ajani and Adedeji (2015)  identified in their study on factors impacting catfish production and its public health implications include capital, labour costs, security, marketing, storage, preservation, distribution, and transportation of fish and fish products. All of the concerns stated must be addressed in order to boost productivity, ensure enough supply to smallholder farmers, and ensure profitability. Fish, like all other creatures, require critical nutrients to thrive correctly.

Natural feeds are accessible in the outdoors, and the fish may satisfy their bodily needs by foraging for them. When fish are transplanted from their native environment to an artificial one, they require adequate food to flourish. Artificial diets can be full or supplementary. A complete food supply of all nutrients (protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals) is required for the fish's maximum growth and health. Supplemental diets do not provide all of the nutrients required, but they are used to supplement the naturally available diets. According to Riche and Garling (2003), fish grown in intensive tank systems require all nutrients in a full pelleted diet since natural food is restricted and fish cannot forage freely for natural foods. This offers the advantage of excellent diet quality and consistency. The amount of danger of microbiological contamination helped by temperature is determined by the quality of fish meals and the sanitary standards of technical processes used during feed formulation.

According to Somorin (2016), storage conditions, particularly temperature and humidity, have a significant impact on the microbiological quality of fish meals. Improper storage temperature may increase the survival of microorganisms in fish feeds by promoting their growth and the development of poisonous chemicals that are harmful to fish. Good nutrition in the fish production system is critical for producing economically healthy, high-quality fish products. However, the ever-increasing cost of feed in Nigeria has significantly increased the cost of fish production due to a scarcity of raw materials that must be imported and rivalry in the livestock industry for micro and macro nutrients and critical amino acids required in fish feed production.

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