On 27 and 28 November 2017 in Mwanza, Tanzania, partners STIPRO (Tanzania) and AquaBioTech Group (ABT, Malta) successfully implemented the VicInAqua training on Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and their benefits. The training was received very well by the 28 external participants, of which 11 women and some farmers planning to invest in RAS. Trainers were Mr. Julian Mamo (Water engineer) and Ms. Kyra Hoevenaars (Senior Aquaculture Consultant) of ABT. Agenda of the training
The 2-days event, conducted in both English and Swahili, consisted of various sessions covering RAS design, production planning, system operation and the VicInAqua system. The program started with welcome speeches from the invited institutions. Mr. Enock Mlaponi, representative of the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) updated the audience about the status of fish farming and its impacts on the population of the Lake Victoria Basin. Mr. Salim Lossindilo, Head of Section for sewage and sanitation operations of the Mwanza Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (MWAUWASA) focused on the opportunities and challenges in wastewater management. Finally, Ms. Joyce Mamkwe, Senior Fisheries Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries of Tanzania provided an update on the status of fish farming, and the opportunities and challenges of aquaculture around Lake Victoria.
Besides the theoretical lectures and RAS design exercise, the training also included a study visit of the backyard RAS facility of Mr. David Msakulo in Mwanza. The facility consists of a 15 m³ tank for catfish and tilapia culture, a main pump, aerator, substrate filter and biofilter, where were culture in the tank, separated by a screen. The owner of the system explained how the system worked and also the problems they face like, power cuts, mixed sex fingerlings, and location of the pump.
Both technical training and field visit were well received by the participants who were eager to learn and enjoyed this interactive event. The participants found that the training materials covered the basic requirements for starting a RAS and that they received appropriate answers to their questions. If you would like to get access to the training materials, please use our contact form to provide some details on yourself. Your request will be reviewed and you will receive a confirmation e-mail in the case of successful registration to our community.
We deeply thank all for participating and look forward to the next capacity building events! Learn more here.
The presentations held by ABT during the training were filmed and produced by Em Cooke. You can watch the video here on the YouTube channel EU Aquaponics Hub: Realising Sustainable Integrated Fish and Vegetable Production for the EU.
