The ministry of fisheries and marine resources continues to offer advisory services to aquaculture projects to promote fish farming countrywide.
One such project is the community-based Mpungu fish farm in Nkurenkuru, Kavango West, which is run by cooperative members who are in charge of managing the farm on behalf of the ministry.
The government project is important as it demonstrates that farming with fish in Namibia is possible, practical and can be done in an economically viable way.
“The ministry supports the farm with fish feed, fingerlings, utilities, maintenance and advisory services,” said Rauna Kalola, the public relations officer in the fisheries ministry.
At Mpungu fish farm, the ponds are stocked with Tilapia fish, and they harvest annually in August, September or October. Last year, 2.8 tons of fish were harvested at the project.
“Members of the local community, through the cooperative, take care of the farm. They are in charge of most of the activities, and the community also benefits from the production’s proceeds,” Kalola said.
The project also aims to inspire Namibians to start farming with fish, and contribute towards food security.
At Mpungu fish farm, there are about six plastic-lined production ponds, and they are about 1 981 cubic metres ponds with a total fish production capacity of 1 1886 cubic metres and eight earth ponds of different sizes with four bigger ponds with an estimated capacity of 1 076 cubic metres per pond with smaller earth ponds with a capacity of 450 cubic metres per pond.
“Since the community is involved in the activities on the farm, they get to experience first-hand how to farm with fish. They also get to experience it for themselves, and pass on the knowledge to other community members,” Kalola noted.
The ministry has about eight aquaculture projects countrywide. In Kavango East, there is the Kamutjonga Inland Fisheries Institute (KIFI) at Kamutjonga village.
In the Omusati region, the ministry has Epalela Fish Farm and the Onavivi Inland Aquaculture centre, and in Oshana, there is the Ongwediva Inland Aquaculture centre, where fingerling and fish production take place.
In the Hardap region, the ministry has the Hardap Inland Aquaculture centre, and the Fonteintjie FF Project in the
//Karas region. In the Omaheke region, there is the Leonardville Inland Aquaculture
centre.