Evaluation of the Emerging Small Scale Rural Aquaculture in Dara and Yirga Chefe Woredas of SNNPRS, Ethiopia

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A  survey  on   small  scale  fish  farming   practice   was conducted  in  two  woredas,  namely  Yirgachefe  and   Dara   in  the SNNPRS. The  study intended to evaluate the  state of the  recently emerging fish farming practices in the  woredas. Detail survey with regard to fish pond management, feeding, and stocking, identification of culture species, fish yield and  marketing were  conducted. It was found that  on average, one  pond  was owned  by fish farmers in both woredas. Statistically significant difference was observed with regard to  pond   size  (P<0.05),  where   fish  farmers  in  Dara   owned   larger ponds (176.4  m2) compared to farmers in Yirga chefe (130.5m2). All fish  farmers  under   the  study used  earthen  ponds  to  culture  fish (P>0.05), and  river  is  the  principal source of  water  (74.6%)  while spring  water   came  second  (25.4%).   The   majority  of  the   ponds (82.7%) in both woredas (P>0.05)  were stocked with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and  only few of the farmers (17.3%)  practice polyculture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with African Catfish (Clarias  gariepinus). In  both  areas  (P>0.05)   91.3%  of  the  farmers practiced pond  fertilization while 8.7% of them  did not. With regard to feeding, majority of the  ponds (82.6%)  were  provided with supplementary feeds (P<0.05)  and only small number  ponds (17.4%) relied  on natural  foods  alone.  Depending  on fry availability,  farmers in  both  woredas  stock  their  ponds  once   per  year   (P>0.05).  The reported average  weight  of  fish  at  harvest  was  256.74g and   the estimated  annual  fish  yield  was  4905.94kg/ha/yr in  both  woredas (P>0.05). Farmers in Yerga  chefe exclusively utilized what they produced for home  consumption purpose while farmers in Dara  sold majority of  their produce and  utilized few of  the  harvest for  home consumption.  Lack  of  technological  support,  poor   growth  rate   of culture  fish  species,  shortage of  fry and  lack  of  quality  fish  feeds were  identified as the  major constraints of  fish farming in the  two woredas.