AQUACULTURE - A RAY OF HOPE
It is irrefutable that the vast Pacific Ocean with its small island nations are at the frontline of catastrophic climatic changes which threaten food security and ultimately shifting our dependence on the sea for food and on subsistence agriculture.
Traditionally, Pacific Island diets consist of fish, seafood and root crops and in many rural and coastal communities of the region, fish is the only source of animal protein available and consumed.
With the onset of rising sea-levels, salt water inundation of agricultural land, the increasing frequency and intensity of cyclones and other climate-change-relateddisasters, our blue food resources on which 70 per cent of the region’s population is dependent on is under threat and is one of the causes of malnutrition in the region.
The emergence of COVID-19 has sparked not only a global health crisis but also an economic crisis, which together pose a serious threat to food security, particularly in developing countries.
With a growing global population, world leaders have the mammoth task ahead of finding solutions to the problems that have cascaded out of the pandemic.
This year, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation reports that the world is at a critical juncture - it is very different to where it was six years ago when it committed to the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.
In the report, FAO estimates that between 720 and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020 – as many as 161 million more than in 2019. Nearly 2.37 billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020 – an increase of 320 million people in just one year. No region of the world has been spared. The high cost of healthy diets and persistently high levels of poverty and income inequality continue to keep healthy diets out of reach for around 3 billion people in every region of the world.
Aquaculture: a ray of hope
Fiji, like the rest of the world has not been spared as Government works tirelessly to find solutions and help the country get through one of its most defining moments in history.
The Fijian Government, through the Ministry of Fisheries, has been encouraging communities to venture into sustainable aquaculture involving tilapia or shrimp. These have proven to be alternative sources of protein and livelihood.
Fish farming is the most common type of aquaculture. It involves the selective breeding of fish, either in fresh or sea water, with the purpose of producing a food source for consumption and a commodity to market for consumers.
To encourage all eligible Fijians, the 2021-2022 aquaculture budget of the Ministry, will prioritise the Government’s objective in assisting vulnerable communities and individuals affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Aquaculture Division have been allocated $1.7m for the 20212022 financial year which will be used to operationalise six capital projects. Through this allocation, interested individuals, communities, formally registered groups and enterprises will be directly assisted under two capital expenditure programmes, namely the Food Security and the Commercial Aquaculture Development Programme.
Budget to enhance assistance to individuals
Acting Permanent Secretary for Fisheries, Pene Baleinabuli says that the key focus of this budget is to enhance assistance to individuals, communities and enterprises who meet the criteria.
“This budget will also strengthen women’s involvement in aquaculture production and resource management towards resilience to natural disasters in the selected divisions and regions,” said Mr Baleinabuli.
The Government’s National Development Plan clearly articulates that aquaculture can drive food security, economic development and as a means of climate change adaptation.
“We hope that more families will be able to grow their own food and in this case, grow the aquaculture sector,” he said.
The Ministry of Fisheries is also investing in research to ensure that aquaculture farmers are supported in managing their farms in the most efficient and productive way possible.
“Government is adamant on working towards a sustainable blue economy and aquaculture is a ray of hope and will play a critical role in achieving this vision,” Mr Baleinabuli said.
Freshwater, Brackishwater and Marine Aquaculture
Principal Aquaculture Officer
Jone Varawa said the freshwater, brackishwater and marine aquaculture development programme has a total budget allocation of $481,000. New farmers will be provided assistance which includes site survey, feasibility reports, pond construction supervision, tilapia fry and prawn post-larvae supply, monthly sampling, postharvest handling, sales and record keeping.
Mr Varawa said the focus of this programme is targeting self-funded projects by individuals, formally registered groups, institutions and communities.
“Through the freshwater aquaculture budget, the Ministry is targeting to produce 2.2 million tilapia fry/juveniles and 50,000 grass carp fingerlings to be supplied to around 500 farmers for pond stocking and grow-out,” Mr Varawa said.
The Ministry’s freshwater hatcheries are based in Naduruloulou for the Central Division, Ba Hatchery for the Western Division and Dreketi Hatchery for the Northern Division.
The brackishwater aquaculture budget aims to produce 80,000 sandfish juveniles for sea ranching, pen and pond culture. In addition the station target is to produce 300,000 freshwater prawns for pond culture to interested prawn farmers.
Food Security and Commercial Aquaculture Development Program
Mr Varawa said the Aquaculture
Food Security and the Commercial Development Programme is an additional programme with a total budget of $675,000 that assists new as well as existing farmers and formally registered aquaculture enterprises with the provision of a one-off grant for the development of aquaculture activities.
The programme is set out that aquaculture returns are re-invested for continued farm development. Assistance under this programme goes through a vigorous vetting process based on the criteria setout before application being submitted and endorsed by an independent committee.
Through this budget, the Ministry is looking at assisting up to 100 but not less than 60 new/existing farmers and 2-3 formally registered aquaculture enterprises with elevating their farming status to semi-commercial and commercial levels of aquaculture, and to support potential aquaculture investors having interest in this sector to elevate their operations and vertically integrating this with farm level production.
Challenges and solutions
Natural disasters, specifically cyclones and flooding are some of the challenges that the Aquaculture Division anticipate. Therefore, teams on the ground are pushing productions over the limit during the non-cyclone season.
Mr Baleinabuli said that due to the national efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, many staff in the Ministry have had to either work as part of the COVID-19 frontline teams or in delivering the Ministry’s core responsibilities.
“Our role in the past few months have been divided between COVID-19 and Ministry-specifics. We have not been in full force. However, the Ministry is pleased with the continuity of production in the various hatcheries which has also seen many farmers receiving tilapia frys and post-larvae shrimps supplies for rearing.
“We are looking forward to getting the full complement of the staff on track once Fiji achieves herd immunity from COVID-19, which should be by October,” he said.
In the meantime, the Ministry continues to engage with its development partners and stakeholders through dialogues in raising much needed awareness on the great opportunities that lie within the aquaculture sector as a means of food and income security.
Fiji continues to forge ahead with the promotion of aquaculture work be it marine, brackishwater and freshwater covering a large variety of species. The Fijian Government has made a substantial investment in aquaculture and believe that it will continue to grow strongly and make a significant contribution to providing communities with valuable protein and alternative sources of income for livelihoods.