Rwandan students, who graduated from different universities in Israel and Rwanda in the field of aquaculture and fish production have secured a one-year deal from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources to help government increase national ponds' fish production from between 4,000 and 10,000 Kilogrammes to about 3,000,000 Kilogrammes (three million Kilogrammes).
Jean-Bosco Bizimana, one of the alumni, who is the coordinator of the project dubbed "Promoting Fish Farming in Ponds and Managing Properly Rwandan Lakes", told The New Times that male fingerlings of fish species called "Tilapia Nilotica" will be introduced into 1,099 ponds across the country after removing all other fish that were in these ponds because they were not providing good production.
"The new fingerlings will provide good yields since they can adapt to local climate as they were locally bred something that will increase fish production from ponds from between 4,000 Kg and 10,000 Kg to three million Kilogrammes," he said.
One fingerling is expected to provide over 500 grams once harvested after six months and thus boost national fish production; he said adding that they are currently working with 96 cooperatives who farm fish in ponds.
Solange Uwituze, the Deputy Director-General of Animal Research and Technology Transfer at the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) recently urged youth to establish fish ponds, make use of idle fish ponds as well as embrace cage fish farming for job creation in the fishing sector.
