MFF cooperates with world fisheries institution for marketable tilapia production

Myanmar Fisheries Federation, in coordination with the World Council of Fisheries Societies (WCFS), is endeavouring to enhance the production of the commercially valued tilapia in the Yangon Region.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation is implementing the tilapia culture in the dams and reservoirs, with the use of a net cage. Those tilapias are originated from Indonesia and have export market prospects.
Those tilapia cultures do not need the ponds and incur the loss of farming land, water treatment and the cost of catch. Furthermore, fish waste can contribute to rice farming as it can be recycled as waste-based fertilizer. This system can increase the rice yield by 15 per cent. The fish culture with the net cage in dams, reservoirs and ponds is common in Asia.
Myanmar has been practising fish and shrimp farming with the net cage in the dams across the country. It is a cost-effective farming method. It can create jobs for the local community. The low input cost made this method successful among countries in Asia. It is extensively utilized in Asia, in coordination with the WCFS.
“As tilapia has a strong domestic and foreign market, 13 Asian countries conduct the fish culture with the net cage in the dams. Efforts are being undertaken to adopt this system in Yangon Region as well. To breed the tilapia larvae that are native to Indonesia, MFF is raising awareness to the fish farmers in coordination with the international body. It can be harvested twice a year so it is the prolific fast-growing species and the valued fish, prompting the breeders to farm them. I was delighted to see the 10,000 net cages of tilapia in Malaysia’s lake. This farming method will effectuate the rural development and increase the income if it is widely practised in the country,” said U Kyee Ngwe, the MFF general secretary.
The Twantay hatchery is providing fish larvae to the breeders. The fast-growing tilapia species are farmed in Kyaiklat and Dedaye townships in Ayeyawady Region. Fish farming in the dams can also result in a cheaper rate for the domestic market. As it also has a strong foreign market, MFF will strive to grow tilapia production, in coordination with the international body. — Nyein Thu (MNA)/GNLM