Doctor, Dentist Join Fish Farmers in Special Training
A doctor and a dentist of Labasa Hospital are among participants of a one week training conducted by the Ministry of Fisheries in Vanua Levu.
The special training provides skills and knowledge to 22 potential and existing fish farmers of the Macuata province.
The doctor is the medical superintendent of Labasa Hospital, Doctor Jaoji Vulibeci while the dentist is Taniela Vosa. The two have recently started fish farming at their residences.
This is an effort to help fish farmers in Macuata province sustain their food security and livelihood.
Next month the ministry will supply participants with baby fish called ‘GIFT (genetically indentified farmed Tilapia) Strain.
These fish multiplies in less time.
So the ministry provides them with baby fish for free and they only have to buy food for them and manage from there.
The ministry will even help them make a fish pond if they don’t have one.
The province in Vanua Levu is known for supplying the highest volume of fish to Viti Levu consumers.
Ministry of Fisheries technical officer aquaculture Anand Prasad said their minister encouraged people to invest in aquaculture to overcome climate change, have own established food security then move to a commercial scale to serve the people of Fiji.
“Our minister wants fish farmers to be self sufficient even during seasonal ban and be in position to locally breed and sell fish,” Mr Prasad said.
“There is a huge population migration from Vanua Levu to Viti Levu and many people on the other side want to eat fish.”
This will be the first project for Vanua Levu.
Mr Prasad said the ministry was doing so much because fish farmers had shown lot of interest.
One of the participants, Manoa Tuiwainikai, a mataqali member of Wainikai and Durubuabua Investment Limited, said he was delighted to be trained so that he could teach others in the company.
“We have three fish ponds and two prawn ponds near Nagata area in Labasa,” Mr Tuwainikai said.
“We started this business two years ago.”
Edited by Percy Kean
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