Our research was conducted for several purposes: to add value to African catfish reduce reliance on expensive imported fish create employment increase accessibility to protein all year round create a Nigerian brand encourage small and medium scale industries and promote agribusiness and bioeconomy. If we could establish a way of preserving the fish it might attract investors, generate employment and help meet the food demands of the growing population. We did an experiment to establish if the fish could be canned in a way that would make it appealing to more people. What’s needed, then, is a way of processing it that adds value to the fish and makes it more attractive for both domestic consumption and export. And processed products such as dried catfish are not always appealing to urban consumers and foreigners in or outside the country. It takes time and patience to remove the slime from the flesh. Though catfish is popular, preparing and cooking it is not easy. One way to support and boost the local catfish production industry would be to improve the processing and packaging of the fish. The shortfall is usually met through importing frozen fish.Ībout 2.5 million tonnes of frozen fish is imported into Nigeria annually to meet demand. The country’s annual fish demand is 3.6 million metric tonnes, but only 1.2 million tonnes is produced domestically. Nigeria is now the largest producer of catfish in the world and the livelihoods of millions depends on it.ĭespite being the highest producer of African catfish, the country is still struggling to bridge the gap between consumer demand and fish supply. And the fish matures in about six months. Salinity refers to the salt content of water. This is because the species can adapt to a wide range of temperatures and to low oxygen and low salinity levels. African catfish ( Clarias gariepinus) farming has become a popular agricultural business sector in Nigeria.
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