Saturday 23 January 2016
welcome 2016
To all aquaculturist in Malawi 2015 was a good year for small scale aquaculture in Malawi. Through the DFID funded project the NAC scientist managed to turn around the production figures of small scale producers from 1.2ton/ha/yr to 6ton/ha/yr using an idegenous tilapia Otechromis shiranus. This is despite the slow growth rates at 0.6g/dy weight gain.
Friday 19 June 2015
Thursday 2 April 2015
SELECTING FISH SPECIES AND STRAINS
I found this article informative and in same dilema as Malawian aquaculture scenario
Taken from http://www.farmersweekly.co.za/article.aspx?id=69933&h=Selecting-fish-species-and-strains
By Nicholas James
The correct choice of fish species or strain can determine success or failure. Beware of breeders claiming to have developed a superior ‘strain’ of tilapia. Chances are they have done no such thing.
Since the 1980s, tilapia strain development has steadily improved the original species’ performance under culture conditions. This is a long-term task: it took more than a decade of research in the Philippines to develop the first improved strain, GIFT 1 (genetically improved farmed tilapia), and research continues.
Since the 1990s, most research has been carried out on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and several strains of both wild colour and red fish have been developed. This is not to say that other species such as the blue tilapia (O. aureus), the three-spotted tilapia (O. andersonii) and the Mozambique tilapia (O. mossambicus) should be ignored as having future aquaculture potential, but for now Nile tilapia is regarded as the species of choice for improvement.
Slow progress
The Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have gradually, and reluctantly, accepted Nile tilapia for aquaculture. Only recently have some permits been issued, and the process is long, complicated and seemingly uncoordinated. Government policy on hatcheries is as yet not clear, and this is one reason that warm-water aquaculture in South Africa is well behind most other countries. Locally improved so-called strains are available and have been used with some success, but they vary widely in performance – and some are not strains at all.
Years of crossing
A commercial strain does not arise from one or two quick breedings. The Rivendell Hatchery ‘Red 5’ strain, for example, is as a result of five separate crosses and subsequent back-crosses over 15 years, between red Mozambique tilapia and one of the best-researched wild strains of this species.
But while the culture performance of this strain is superior to that of many other O. mossambicus available, it does not compare with the best in the world, and should thus be regarded as a reasonable alternative for the moment, so long as the best Nile tilapia strains remain inaccessible.
Other locally ‘developed’ strains of tilapia on the Internet should be viewed with caution if the developmental process – including the numbers of fish used and their origin – are not documented. It is easy to claim to have developed a strain, but it takes more than a pair of big fish to make one; you need time, expertise and many large grow-out tanks to compare the performance of offspring.
When I hear of people claiming to have bred from ‘the best brood-stock because they were so large’, I wonder if they know that fish grow throughout their lives, and that their brood fish were probably just old, and not special at all.
It takes considerable research into a species’ or strain’s life history to assess potential culture performance. Tilapia stock improvement centres are found mainly in Asia, such as the Asian Institute of Technology, Namsai Farms and Manit Farms. The universities of Stirling and Swansea in the UK and companies such as Fishgen are responsible for development in stock improvement in producing reliable strains.
Taken from http://www.farmersweekly.co.za/article.aspx?id=69933&h=Selecting-fish-species-and-strains
By Nicholas James
The correct choice of fish species or strain can determine success or failure. Beware of breeders claiming to have developed a superior ‘strain’ of tilapia. Chances are they have done no such thing.
Since the 1980s, tilapia strain development has steadily improved the original species’ performance under culture conditions. This is a long-term task: it took more than a decade of research in the Philippines to develop the first improved strain, GIFT 1 (genetically improved farmed tilapia), and research continues.
Since the 1990s, most research has been carried out on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and several strains of both wild colour and red fish have been developed. This is not to say that other species such as the blue tilapia (O. aureus), the three-spotted tilapia (O. andersonii) and the Mozambique tilapia (O. mossambicus) should be ignored as having future aquaculture potential, but for now Nile tilapia is regarded as the species of choice for improvement.
Slow progress
The Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have gradually, and reluctantly, accepted Nile tilapia for aquaculture. Only recently have some permits been issued, and the process is long, complicated and seemingly uncoordinated. Government policy on hatcheries is as yet not clear, and this is one reason that warm-water aquaculture in South Africa is well behind most other countries. Locally improved so-called strains are available and have been used with some success, but they vary widely in performance – and some are not strains at all.
Years of crossing
A commercial strain does not arise from one or two quick breedings. The Rivendell Hatchery ‘Red 5’ strain, for example, is as a result of five separate crosses and subsequent back-crosses over 15 years, between red Mozambique tilapia and one of the best-researched wild strains of this species.
But while the culture performance of this strain is superior to that of many other O. mossambicus available, it does not compare with the best in the world, and should thus be regarded as a reasonable alternative for the moment, so long as the best Nile tilapia strains remain inaccessible.
Other locally ‘developed’ strains of tilapia on the Internet should be viewed with caution if the developmental process – including the numbers of fish used and their origin – are not documented. It is easy to claim to have developed a strain, but it takes more than a pair of big fish to make one; you need time, expertise and many large grow-out tanks to compare the performance of offspring.
When I hear of people claiming to have bred from ‘the best brood-stock because they were so large’, I wonder if they know that fish grow throughout their lives, and that their brood fish were probably just old, and not special at all.
It takes considerable research into a species’ or strain’s life history to assess potential culture performance. Tilapia stock improvement centres are found mainly in Asia, such as the Asian Institute of Technology, Namsai Farms and Manit Farms. The universities of Stirling and Swansea in the UK and companies such as Fishgen are responsible for development in stock improvement in producing reliable strains.
Thursday 5 March 2015
NAC On Demand Aquaculture Advisory Service (ODAAS) Feb 2015
The NAC receives a lot of visitors, during the month of February 2015 the centre had the following: Bunda College, Aquaculture and Fisheries Science
Department team led by Dr Daudi Kassam had a 2 days visit at NAC on technical
back stopping in hatchery management supported by AgriTT. An 8 member team led
by Mr Kagwira from MALDECO Aquaculture LTD, visited NAC on technical back
stopping, mainly they were learning fingerling production using soya milk. This
is one of the technologies in grow out production being developed by AgriTT
project. Mr Jake a USAID Fulbright Scholar in Malawi visited NAC to discuss
possibility of partnership in project implementation on live feed in
aquaculture. Prof Darren Yuan the Deputy Director of Freshwater Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre (FFAC) in China visited NAC as a monitoring tour for the Agriculture Technology Transfer Project (AgriTT), this is a South South Coperation Project. Get the story in the following pictures:
Bunda College and Chancellor College Vehicles
Bunda College students on a technical backstop tour
Prof Yuan, Dr Mecuane, Dr Zidana, XiueJiao
Dr Zidana, Tom and Mr Kandapo
Wednesday 4 March 2015
WELCOME TO NATIONAL AQUACULTURE CENTRE BLOG SPOT
Malawi Government
Department
of Fisheries
National Aquaculture Centre
(NAC)
MANAGEMENT
H.K. Zidana (PhD)-Head
J.
Kandapo (BSc)-Deputy Head
D.G. Mbamba (BSc)-Farm Manager
RESEARCHERS
U.Chisulo Banda (BEd)-Fish Nutritionist
H. Sainani (BSc)-Breeder
W. Chirwa (BSc)-Breeder
H. Kasiya (BSc)-Grow out technologist
F. Phiri (BSc)-Grow out technologist
1.0
Background Information
1.1.
Mandate of the Nationa Aquaculture Centre
NAC is mandated to develop
appropriate recommendations for fish farming through implementing bio-technical
research programmes.
1.2. Mission of the Nationa Aquaculture Centre
The centre is set
to support aquaculture industry satisfy demand for fish through provision of
high quality aquaculture research.
1.3. Objective of Nationa Aquaculture Centre
Guided by Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 2001, the
centre’s main objectives include 1) to solve problems related to fish farming
and management of small water bodies through bio-technical research and 2) to
develop adaptive/appropriate recommendations for fish farming.
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