$200m Shrimp Farming Takes Off In Nigeria Soon  
 

By Jimoh Babatunde

17th Mar 2008

Fisheries experts gathered  in Lagos recently to draw up regulations to guide investors on shrimps farming in Nigeria. The three-day workshop on Shrimp Aquaculture Programme in Nigeria was  organized by Sulalanka Nigeria Ltd.  in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources,  and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Rome, to produce a National Guideline for Shrimp Farming Development in the country

Speaking on the  workshop theme, “ Shrimp Aquaculture Program in Nigeria: Inland farming of Marine Black Tiger shrimp", Mr. Upali  Karunaratna, CEO,  Sulalanka Nig Ltd said the major issue was to form guidelines and regulations to monitor the industry.
 
“No matter the type of knowledge you have, with limits of financial and management resources to the sky high, if no regulations are stipulated and made mandatory, its inevitable that the industry will perish sooner than later,” he said.

According to him, the aim of having fisheries expert, NGOs, farmers across the globe to attend the workshop was to identify the appropriate technology to adopt that would be suitable, environmentally friendly and sustainability

Other issues include marketing aspects and hints for high profitability, which is the back-bone of the survival of any venture.
“The technology we have for shrimp farming in Nigeria is capable of protecting the environment and does not have any threat to the mangrove or swampy areas since it stays away from such areas,” he said.

“He said those who initially opposed the industrial shrimp farming are still evaluating the techniques of over two decades old that had links with mangrove and exchange with water systems.

 Karunaratna said $200 million is required to develop shrimp farming in Nigeria. 
He said that 20 farmers will benefit from the $200 million and that the money would be used by them to get the necessary equipment and environment required for shrimp farming.

He said that the money would be spread over three years, adding shrimp farming was a lucrative business although very expensive to set up.

“We have a number of potential farmers representing six geo political zones in Nigeria where they expect to set up shrimp farms.
“We have also the responsible ministry officials who will monitor the farming activities to ensure the compliance of best management practices and industry regulations by the farmers,” he said.

He said that the company through interviews and interactions with stakeholders identified lack of knowledge, resources, feeling of insecurity of investment and inability to take risks as some of the problems militating against industrial shrimp farming in Nigeria.

He said that the workshop was convened to ensure proper guidelines and regulations to monitor the industry.

He said that without mandatory regulations for shrimp farming in Nigeria, the industry would “perish sooner than later”.

The Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma urged the participants to come up with working paper that would encourage the industry to thrive.

Ruma, who was represented by Dr. Olajide Ayinla, the Executive Director, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research said the efforts would enhance Nigeria shrimp export to international market, generate employment and improve poverty eradication.
 
He called on the stakeholders to ensure that they extend their collaboration to the research institutes in the country.
The Minister urged the stakeholders to collaborate with research institutions to benefit from some of the researches already conducted, adding that “research is bedrock of development”.

Alhaji Sule Akande, one of the farmers at the workshop said that 30 farmers have subscribed to the first phase of the shrimp farming project.
He said that the farmers have already visited Rome and some Asian countries to see how shrimp farming is done.

According to him, shrimp farming has some economic gains for the farmers and is capable of providing jobs for about 1,000 to 2,000 workers within the community where it is sited.

Mrs. Foluke Areola, the President of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FSON), said the society was at the workshop to protect the interest of investors and to ensure that the guidelines address their needs.
 
According to her, ensuring shrimp are available for local consumption rate of shrimps and whether the cost of production would enable shrimp farmers compete favourably in the international market would be sorted out.
 
“Once answers are provided for these issues agitating our minds, then ours is to invest in shrimp farming if there is a guarantee that there will be a high return on our investment,” she said.Over 70 participants attended the workshop and various papers presented include overview of global shrimp farming, sustainable and environmentally friendly shrimp aquaculture in reference to WWF standard, shrimp market around the world, shrimp farming techniques and new trends, pond construction, implications and adherence to standards, water quality and treatment system, management of shrimp farm, fertilization, stocking, labour, maturation, hatchery, nursery among others.

Source:Vanguard

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