5 Commercial Fish Types For Productive Fish Farming In Africa

Fishing farming is a profitable and very beneficial farming enterprise practised worldwide. Fish farmers raise many different kinds of fishes using different methods and systems suitable to them. The various systems and fish types adopted for fish farming differ for the various climatic zones.

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In this post, we try to present the commercial fish types that are suited and raised by fish farmers in Africa.

1. Tilapia

Tilapia is a tropical fish and one of the popular fish farming in Africa. They are high in protein, large and have some incredible growth capabilities. Tilapia thrives well in water temperatures between 28^oC and 30^oC. The main challenge with tilapia management is that they reproduce rapidly. This situation if not well managed, will increase competition amongst the fish and may lead to stunted growth. Tilapia prefer cereal-based diet to eating other fish.

2. Catfish

Catfish are considered, one of the more sustainable fish specifies for fish farming purposes. Catfish raised in inland tanks or channels are considered safe for the environment since their waste and disease should be contained and not spread to the wild. They are mostly farmed in fresh ponds and are good for warmer climates. Catfish is popular for its health benefits and high market demand. The most prominent catfish species for farming are the blue catfish, flathead catfish and channel catfish.

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3. Salmon

Salmon is also a very popular fish species. The Atlantic salmon is the commonly farmed. Chinook and Coho are the other varieties of the Pacific. They vaccinate the farmed salmon to prevent disease outbreaks. On rare occasions, they require additional medications. To prevent salmon from feeding on wild fish, the salmon feed is made. This helps to conserve wild fish stocks.

4. Tuna

Tuna is also one of the commercial fish types very important in the commercial fish farming industry. The tuna fish are saltwater fish. The species of tuna include; yellowfin, albacore and bluefin. Tuna fish farming is complex. This is because the fish are big and very active. This makes simulating their natural environment very difficult. That is why most tuna consumed by humans are caught in the wild, raised in a facility for them to gain weight. Tuna eat other fish and are typically raised in net pens offshore and in recirculation systems.

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5. Eel

Eels are a carnivorous and catadromous fish ie they migrate from fresh water to the sea to breed. They spend 8 to 30 years in freshwater before they migrate. Eel farming is very popular in Asia, with China, Japan and Taiwan as the leading producers. Eel farming can be done in high-intensity recirculating tanks or intensive pond facilities.

The list of commercial fish types for fish farming in Africa is not exhaustive. We would like to know if there is a popular one we did not talk about. Please use the comment form.

Reference:

Fish Farms - (farms.com)