Thursday 28th May, WorldFish virtually met with several representatives from the Nigerian aquaculture community. They included representatives from Catfish and Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFFAN), Tilapia and Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria (TADAN), Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), Nigerian Association of Fisheries Scientists (NAFS), IDIPR Cooperative Farms, fish processors, and corporate sector fish producers and traders. Several issues were brought into the discussion as compelling difficulties currently faced by the aquaculture community.
Most problems faced by fish farmers and processors appear to be centred around the current government-imposed Movement Control Order (MCO) in response to COVID-19. MCO has significantly reduced fish producers’ access to markets. Markets are not open throughout the week for fish sales and access to production inputs, such as feeds, fingerlings, and feed ingredients has also become limited. Consequently, transport costs have gone up significantly and long delays are experienced at checkpoints. Read the rest
