%0 Journal Article
%T Current and future prospects of commercial fish farming in Zambia
%A Confred G. Musuka
%A Felix F. Musonda
%J Aquaculture, Aquarium, Conservation & Legislation
%D 2012
%I Bioflux
%X According to the survey conducted, there were 15 land based commercial fish farms in Lusaka, Copperbelt and Northern provincesand 10 cage culture operators, mainly based on Lake Kariba. Fish production per hectare ranged between 13 and 18 tonnes while total productionwas estimated to be approximately 4971.37 metric tons. The weight of fish at harvest from ponds and tanks ranged from 250g to 350g per piecewhile under cage culture, where fish were regularly fed with floating pellets, ranged from 400 to 450g. Fish stocking density by most farmerswas 30,000 fingerlings per hectare and between 12,000 and 15,000 for cage culture. Those who operated fish hatcheries employed a technologythat manipulated genetic materials of Oreochromis andersonii and O. niloticus, resulting in production of all-male tilapia, simply referred to as¡°super males¡±. Environmental considerations remained a great challenge to the development of both land based commercial fish farms and cageculture on Lake Kariba. Higher fees were charged to do environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies before commencement of operation.
%K current
%K future
%K prospects
%K commercial
%K fish farming
%K Zambia
%U http://www.bioflux.com.ro/docs/AACL_5.2.5.pdf