Aquaculture in The Niger-Delta region of Nigeria

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One of a dozen Fish Ponds at Mafuru Fish Farm Sapele.

INTRODUCTION
I am Stephen from Nigeria, I live in Sapele, a riverine town in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. The Niger-Delta is a large part of the country in the southern part of Nigeria characterized by a riverine and brackish hydrosphere with forest vegetation at it's northern boundaries gradually thining down into vast mangrove vegetation as one approaches the southern most boundaries where it is bordered by the Atlantic ocean in the far south.

The Niger-Delta region comprises about 9 of 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The weather is mostly wet with dark rain clouds and consequential moderate to heavy downpours persisting for no less than eight months of the year. My own state, Delta is at the center of the Niger-Delta region and as the name implies it is a region characterized by vast riverine geogrphical features and swamp lands.

AGRICULTURE
There are various types of agricultural practices amongst the farming population of the Niger-Delta peoples. The abundance of rain fall and the dark and rich loamy soil makes crop farming a sure-success here. Most notable among the farming practices of the Niger-Delta peoples is Fish Farming, the centerpiece of this geographical literature.

AQUACULTURE IN THE NIGER-DELTA
Aquaculture simply means the rearing of aquatic organisms within a confined and controlled aquatic environment. Aquaculture in the agricultural context more specifically means Fish Farming(farming of fish and any edible aquatic organisms such as crustaceans, mollusks etcetera).

Fish Farming in the Niger-Delta is deeply ingrained into the culture of the Niger-Delta peoples. About 60% of the farming population are into Fish Farming and about 15% of the Niger-Delta peoples are actually into artisanal fishery or simply put, they are Fisher Folks. The type of aquaculture predominating amongst the Niger-Delta peoples are pond enclosure fish Farming. The fish ponds are mostly of three types.

TYPES OF FISH PONDS

1. The Dug Out Earthen Ponds.
   These are ponds that are simply constructed by digging out the the required space for containing the aquatic environment out of the Earth. A perfect example is the one above in my title page. They are the most common types and more preferred by large scale fish farmers whom have large tracts of lands on which to dig out desired quantities of ponds.

2. Concrete Tank Ponds.
   These are ponds constructed above ground level but seated on the level earth. The bottom are floored with cement with walls about four feet high on all sides. They are mostly square or rectangular in shapes but other shapes are not less frequently encountered. They are more expensive than the Earthen Ponds and require a lot of maintenance.

3. Plastic Tarpaulin Ponds.
   These are actually tarpaulin materials raised and suspended with plastic stands(legs) so as to create an hollow receptacle for containing water for the fish culture.

The main types of fishes cultivated are catfish and tilapia. Of the two the catfish are the most abundant. Catfish is very common in most meals of the Niger-Delta peoples. They are a regular in the kitchen amongst fresh fish lovers and also in hotels, resorts and recreational centres where they are served in soups or roasted barbeques.

Of the two types of fishes, the tilapia is the most tasty but unfortunately it's far smaller sizes makes it a second choice fish for the majority of the Niger-Delta people whom do well to manage their meager incomes in this difficult economic times.

Thanks for your time in reading my overview of Aquaculture in the Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria. Bye for now as I wish you all a fun-filled day.

Special Mention
CC- @belenguerra
CC- @bright-obias

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