THE PRODUCTION OF CATFISH (Clarias gariepinus) IN FLOATING BAMBOO NET-CAGE SYSTEM IN NIGERIA
Abstract
Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) juveniles average weight, 80g, were stocked at 308 fish/m3 in a lockable bamboo lattices/net-cage (6m3 effective water volume) moored in a 2-hectare irrigation reservoir at Ajanla Farms, South-West Nigeria. The fish were fed ad libitum twice daily with a 45% crude protein pelleted feed and were harvested after 153 days (about 5 months) culture period. At harvest the following data were obtained. Final weight per fish, 722g; daily weight gain, 4.2g/d; actual total fish production, 621kg (46.9% of number stocked); feed conversion ratio, 2.12. A mortality of 1.84% was recorded during the culture period while 51.67% of the stock escaped through leakage caused by a damage to the bottom of the cage (careless towing) during harvesting activities. Recommendations were made towards better commercialization of the system through organized private sector participation.
Keywords: Commercial production, catfish, floating cage.
