HARDAP DAM – Situated a stone’s throw from the Hardap Dam, the Hardap Inland Aquaculture Centre (HIAC) has a bold dream: achieving food security.
HIAC has been established with the aim of selling fingerlings to the public with the purpose of growing the fish to market size, and not necessarily to breed them.
This was how chief fisheries biologist Gosbert Hamutenya located HIAC in Namibia’s food security chain to New Era during a recent visit to the
facility.
He said once customers have harvested the fish, they ought to come back to the ministry for new stock. “The core function of the centre is to promote aquaculture and provide related support services to the public with the intention to encourage the public to adopt aquaculture as a viable option in food production, mostly at the household level,” he
said.
The biologist continued that the response from the public over the last couple of years has been encouraging.
One of their chief challenges, is that fish farmers do not submit needed data timeously.
“The ministry has, however, started to work on measures to sensitise fish farmers on the importance of providing feedback for reporting and planning purposes,” he added.
Output at the centre varies from season to season, depending on the available input costs such as fish feed, and the state of the production facility.
“It must be made clear that their primary priority as government at this centre is fingerling production, with market-size fish production as a secondary priority. The total production for the previous financial year was 198 920 fingerlings and 0.745 tonnes of market-sized fish, “ he stated.
Information availed to this publication by HIAC indicates that the facility, being operated by the fisheries ministry, comprises 15 fish ponds, nine of which are covered with greenhouse material, while six are used for fingerling breeding.
Species of Oreochromis mossambicus, commonly known as the Mozambique tilapia, are mainly bred at the centre.
There is also a functional processing facility with a cold storage component, and an office block.
These facilities are subject to wear and tear and need regular maintenance, which is subject to procurement procedures as stipulated in the Public Procurement Act.
The ministry is currently working on attracting investment to upgrade the remaining open ponds for grow-out production.
-sklukowski@nepc.com.na