From fisher of men to prosperous fish farmer
Oct 11, 2010
THE one time fisher of men is now a fish farmer. That is what retired Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze became on leaving the helm of Busoga Diocese in the mid-1990s.
By George Bita
My Way:
Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze
From fishing men, Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze has switched to fish farming
THE one time fisher of men is now a fish farmer. That is what retired Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze became on leaving the helm of Busoga Diocese in the mid-1990s.
As he retired to Nakakabala village in Kamuli district, the elderly shepherd thought of what project he could take up to show his sheep that although retired, he was far from tired. After considering several options, he settled for fish farming. Land was not a problem because he had several acres, part of it in a wetland.
How he started
In 2004, Bishop Bamwoze constructed his first fish pond measuring about 1,000 square feet, with the help of his brother who had been trained in aquaculture in Thailand.
Working with a group of young, energetic workers, he constructed the pond and drainage channels. Following instructions from his brother, he made sure the pond was 2½ft deep at the deep end and 1ft at the shallow end.
A well-regulated flow of water in and out of the pond is essential for healthy fish growth. That is why every pond must have both an inlet channel and drainage.
Next, they installed a hatchery, where fish eggs extracted from mature fish would be hatched. For the eggs to hatch properly, the temperature in the hatchery has to be maintained at 30oC for 22-24 hours. They also set up a nursery where the young fish are kept before being put into the pond.
Like any other livestock, fish have to be fed regularly if they are to grow fast and make profit for the farmer. The fish at Bishop Bamwoze’s farm are fed twice a day on maize bran mixed with other ingredients like soya bean, fish and bone meal.
The fish fry (young fish) are fed four times a day to ensure fast growth. There is also a special diet for the breeding stock, which provides the eggs for hatching.
To get eggs for hatching, mature fish which show signs of having a lot of eggs are injected with special hormones to induce them to lay them. The eggs are then fertilised using sperms extracted from the male fish. The fertilised eggs are put in the hatchery, where they eventually hatch into fish fry.
“God has his way of doing things. He placed food in the water for the fish fry which they can eat for those four days without being fed by anyone. They get the equivalent of breast milk through their egg yolk,†Bishop Bamwoze giving a spiritual dimension to his fish farming experience.
Challenges and future prospects
Bishop Bamwoze says what he has achieved since he started fish farming two years ago is nothing compared to what he expects in future.
He plans to expand his fish farm, setting up more ponds and other support structures. If money allows, Bamwoze plans to set up two lines of paired ponds to accommodate the breeding stock from which he hopes to get young fish.
“The breeding stock will consist of mature catfish (emmaale) and tilapia (engege) species. The pond dimensions will be either 20 by 50m or 25 by 40 to make the recommended 1,000 square metres,†Bamwoze explains.
He says the existing breeding stock ponds on his farm are mostly stocked with catfish, of which about 200 are harvested weekly for sale.
Even within the relatively secured environment of a pond, certain aquatic insects common in ponds are a menace to the fish fry. “There is need for chemical spraying to kill these specific insects. Other predators like monitor lizards, snakes and frogs are kept off by an aluminum plate perimeter fence around the fish farm,†says the retired prelate.
Tilapia, which is herbivorous, helps to keep the pond clean and clear by eating the algae. Bamwoze plans to construct 400 more ponds at the Nakakabala farm and 200 more at Nakimegere village.
He is targeting Busoga region market, which he wants to dominate as the leading supplier of fish fry to prospective fish farmers. Through this, Bamwoze hopes to contribute to the Government’s prosperity-for-all (Bonna Bagaggawale) campaign, which seeks to improve household incomes.
Bamwoze hopes to earn sh120m annually from his 30 ponds measuring 30 by 200m which are stocked with fish that is hatched on the farm. A standard pond size is 25 by 200m.
“The bigger ponds are stocked with about 1,000 fish each, a mixture of tilapia and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Roughly the total number of fish in the pond is about 4,000,†he says.
“Currently, the farm is more into breeding than producing mature fish for the market, though in future that market will also be tapped into,†Bamwoze adds.
“We have the capacity to raise nine million fish per year, which could give us about 120,000 tonnes per year. Our target is to rear them for eight or nine months to attain a weight of 2kg,†explains the retired bishop.
In a year, Bamwoze is capable of getting 100 tonnes of fish with an average 90,000kg, sold at sh2,000 per kilo.
Constructing a pond
Before beginning the construction of a new fish pond, carefully consider the design. A properly designed and constructed pond will be easily managed and will last longer. This saves extra work and brings greater profit.
Design considerations to address
-The source of water used to fill the pond
-How water will be brought to the pond
-The type of soil available for building the pond
-The size, shape and depth of the pond
-The slope of the pond bottom
-The height, width and slope of the dykes
-The type of drainage system that will be used
-The layout of ponds used for different sizes of fish
Other issues to consider
-What type of pond do you wish to build?
-What type of fish can be grown here?
Remember if you wish to be a fingerling producer (fish at six weeks), you require small ponds. A food fish producer requires relatively large ponds.
General considerations
-Ponds should be designed based on the type of soil present and the intended culture practices.
-The water source must be able to keep the pond full throughout the culture period.
-Relatively shallow ponds are productive, but the shallow end should be at least 0.5m deep to avoid invasion by weeds.
-It is always desirable to place screens on pond inlets and outlets to keep out predators, insects and unwanted fish, and to retain the cultured fish.
-Every pond should be drainable.
-Every pond should have an independent controlled inlet and outlet.
-Excavation of a core trench should be done where soils are less suitable.
-Perimeter and feeder roads are required to provide for movement of machines during construction and at harvest.
-If you plan to drive on the dykes, build them at least three metres wide on top, and wider at the base.
-Soil used to build dykes should always be compacted in layers.
Land area for ponds
You need to establish that the land is relatively levelled. Steeply sloped land is not generally suitable for building ponds. A slope of about 1% is considered ideal.
The area should not be prone to flooding. Study weather records for the area, ask local residents about flooding in recent years, and look for actual evidence that flooding has occurred.
The area should not be subject to pollution in run-off from adjacent land. Find out who owns adjacent and uphill land, how they use the land, and what chemicals (including fertilisers and pesticides) they use.
If possible, the land must be slightly lower than the water source, so that the ponds can be filled by gravity rather than by pumping. Supplying water by gravity greatly reduces energy inputs and operating costs.
In most cases, the larger the surface area (with gentle slope), the better. This is only true if the land and water are not expensive.
Intergrated farming
Apart from producing fish for food or sale, there are other advantages to fish farming. Adding fish farming to other farm enterprises can make your overall operation efficient and more profitable. This comes about by sharing space, inputs, by-product and labour associated with other crops, and especially by using or re-using materials available on the farm.
Before integrating fish farming into overall farm activities you should consider:
How much you are willing to invest in the project
How much time will be spent on fish production compared to other farm activities
Will growing fish enhance your food supply (when stocking fish for domestic use) or increase your income? Or are you engaging in the activity just because your neighbours have a similar project?
Once satisfied that a site is suitable for building a pond and that growing fish will be a profitable endeavour, here are some possible ways to integrate fish farming into your overall farm operation for greater efficiency and profitability:
Plan your farm layout in such a way that work and materials will flow in a logical, smooth manner. For example, try to position crop, livestock and fish units so that by-products from one unit can easily be moved to another.
Also, if fish ponds are positioned uphill from land crops, it may be possible to use fertile pond water to irrigate your other crops by gravity.
Try by-products from some farm activities as inputs for other activities. For example, animal manure may double as fertilisers for many crops, including fish.
Farms with chicken may consider building chicken houses over ponds, so chicken droppings and uneaten feed fall directly into the pond. These serve as a fertiliser and food. About one chicken per 2m2 of pond surface area usually gives good results.
Similarly, operations with pigs might build pig sties close to ponds so that manure can be easily washed into the pond to fertilise it. In this case, be sure you can control the amount going into the pond so it is not over fertilised. Use about one pig per 166m2 of pond surface area.
Other animals integrated with fish culture include cattle, goats, sheep, ducks, geese and rabbits.
If rice is grown in paddies, it may be possible to rear fish in the rice paddies. This requires preparing the paddy a little differently than usual but can lead to an extra ‘crop’ (fish) without reducing rice production.
Plan daily activities so you accomplish as many tasks as possible on each trip. Try not to make any trip “empty handed.â€
Whenever possible, plan trips to the market or farm supply shop (for example, for fertilisers or feeds) so purchasing and delivery of supplies for all enterprises is done in a single trip, rather than making several trips.
Be creative in trying to find ways in which fish culture and your other farm enterprises can complement each other to help the farm reach top efficiency and greater profit.
My Way:
Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze
From fishing men, Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze has switched to fish farming
THE one time fisher of men is now a fish farmer. That is what retired Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze became on leaving the helm of Busoga Diocese in the mid-1990s.
As he retired to Nakakabala village in Kamuli district, the elderly shepherd thought of what project he could take up to show his sheep that although retired, he was far from tired. After considering several options, he settled for fish farming. Land was not a problem because he had several acres, part of it in a wetland.
How he started
In 2004, Bishop Bamwoze constructed his first fish pond measuring about 1,000 square feet, with the help of his brother who had been trained in aquaculture in Thailand.
Working with a group of young, energetic workers, he constructed the pond and drainage channels. Following instructions from his brother, he made sure the pond was 2½ft deep at the deep end and 1ft at the shallow end.
A well-regulated flow of water in and out of the pond is essential for healthy fish growth. That is why every pond must have both an inlet channel and drainage.
Next, they installed a hatchery, where fish eggs extracted from mature fish would be hatched. For the eggs to hatch properly, the temperature in the hatchery has to be maintained at 30oC for 22-24 hours. They also set up a nursery where the young fish are kept before being put into the pond.
Like any other livestock, fish have to be fed regularly if they are to grow fast and make profit for the farmer. The fish at Bishop Bamwoze’s farm are fed twice a day on maize bran mixed with other ingredients like soya bean, fish and bone meal.
The fish fry (young fish) are fed four times a day to ensure fast growth. There is also a special diet for the breeding stock, which provides the eggs for hatching.
To get eggs for hatching, mature fish which show signs of having a lot of eggs are injected with special hormones to induce them to lay them. The eggs are then fertilised using sperms extracted from the male fish. The fertilised eggs are put in the hatchery, where they eventually hatch into fish fry.
“God has his way of doing things. He placed food in the water for the fish fry which they can eat for those four days without being fed by anyone. They get the equivalent of breast milk through their egg yolk,†Bishop Bamwoze giving a spiritual dimension to his fish farming experience.
Challenges and future prospects
Bishop Bamwoze says what he has achieved since he started fish farming two years ago is nothing compared to what he expects in future.
He plans to expand his fish farm, setting up more ponds and other support structures. If money allows, Bamwoze plans to set up two lines of paired ponds to accommodate the breeding stock from which he hopes to get young fish.
“The breeding stock will consist of mature catfish (emmaale) and tilapia (engege) species. The pond dimensions will be either 20 by 50m or 25 by 40 to make the recommended 1,000 square metres,†Bamwoze explains.
He says the existing breeding stock ponds on his farm are mostly stocked with catfish, of which about 200 are harvested weekly for sale.
Even within the relatively secured environment of a pond, certain aquatic insects common in ponds are a menace to the fish fry. “There is need for chemical spraying to kill these specific insects. Other predators like monitor lizards, snakes and frogs are kept off by an aluminum plate perimeter fence around the fish farm,†says the retired prelate.
Tilapia, which is herbivorous, helps to keep the pond clean and clear by eating the algae. Bamwoze plans to construct 400 more ponds at the Nakakabala farm and 200 more at Nakimegere village.
He is targeting Busoga region market, which he wants to dominate as the leading supplier of fish fry to prospective fish farmers. Through this, Bamwoze hopes to contribute to the Government’s prosperity-for-all (Bonna Bagaggawale) campaign, which seeks to improve household incomes.
Bamwoze hopes to earn sh120m annually from his 30 ponds measuring 30 by 200m which are stocked with fish that is hatched on the farm. A standard pond size is 25 by 200m.
“The bigger ponds are stocked with about 1,000 fish each, a mixture of tilapia and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Roughly the total number of fish in the pond is about 4,000,†he says.
“Currently, the farm is more into breeding than producing mature fish for the market, though in future that market will also be tapped into,†Bamwoze adds.
“We have the capacity to raise nine million fish per year, which could give us about 120,000 tonnes per year. Our target is to rear them for eight or nine months to attain a weight of 2kg,†explains the retired bishop.
In a year, Bamwoze is capable of getting 100 tonnes of fish with an average 90,000kg, sold at sh2,000 per kilo.
Constructing a pond
Before beginning the construction of a new fish pond, carefully consider the design. A properly designed and constructed pond will be easily managed and will last longer. This saves extra work and brings greater profit.
Design considerations to address
-The source of water used to fill the pond
-How water will be brought to the pond
-The type of soil available for building the pond
-The size, shape and depth of the pond
-The slope of the pond bottom
-The height, width and slope of the dykes
-The type of drainage system that will be used
-The layout of ponds used for different sizes of fish
Other issues to consider
-What type of pond do you wish to build?
-What type of fish can be grown here?
Remember if you wish to be a fingerling producer (fish at six weeks), you require small ponds. A food fish producer requires relatively large ponds.
General considerations
-Ponds should be designed based on the type of soil present and the intended culture practices.
-The water source must be able to keep the pond full throughout the culture period.
-Relatively shallow ponds are productive, but the shallow end should be at least 0.5m deep to avoid invasion by weeds.
-It is always desirable to place screens on pond inlets and outlets to keep out predators, insects and unwanted fish, and to retain the cultured fish.
-Every pond should be drainable.
-Every pond should have an independent controlled inlet and outlet.
-Excavation of a core trench should be done where soils are less suitable.
-Perimeter and feeder roads are required to provide for movement of machines during construction and at harvest.
-If you plan to drive on the dykes, build them at least three metres wide on top, and wider at the base.
-Soil used to build dykes should always be compacted in layers.
Land area for ponds
You need to establish that the land is relatively levelled. Steeply sloped land is not generally suitable for building ponds. A slope of about 1% is considered ideal.
The area should not be prone to flooding. Study weather records for the area, ask local residents about flooding in recent years, and look for actual evidence that flooding has occurred.
The area should not be subject to pollution in run-off from adjacent land. Find out who owns adjacent and uphill land, how they use the land, and what chemicals (including fertilisers and pesticides) they use.
If possible, the land must be slightly lower than the water source, so that the ponds can be filled by gravity rather than by pumping. Supplying water by gravity greatly reduces energy inputs and operating costs.
In most cases, the larger the surface area (with gentle slope), the better. This is only true if the land and water are not expensive.
Intergrated farming
Apart from producing fish for food or sale, there are other advantages to fish farming. Adding fish farming to other farm enterprises can make your overall operation efficient and more profitable. This comes about by sharing space, inputs, by-product and labour associated with other crops, and especially by using or re-using materials available on the farm.
Before integrating fish farming into overall farm activities you should consider:
How much you are willing to invest in the project
How much time will be spent on fish production compared to other farm activities
Will growing fish enhance your food supply (when stocking fish for domestic use) or increase your income? Or are you engaging in the activity just because your neighbours have a similar project?
Once satisfied that a site is suitable for building a pond and that growing fish will be a profitable endeavour, here are some possible ways to integrate fish farming into your overall farm operation for greater efficiency and profitability:
Plan your farm layout in such a way that work and materials will flow in a logical, smooth manner. For example, try to position crop, livestock and fish units so that by-products from one unit can easily be moved to another.
Also, if fish ponds are positioned uphill from land crops, it may be possible to use fertile pond water to irrigate your other crops by gravity.
Try by-products from some farm activities as inputs for other activities. For example, animal manure may double as fertilisers for many crops, including fish.
Farms with chicken may consider building chicken houses over ponds, so chicken droppings and uneaten feed fall directly into the pond. These serve as a fertiliser and food. About one chicken per 2m2 of pond surface area usually gives good results.
Similarly, operations with pigs might build pig sties close to ponds so that manure can be easily washed into the pond to fertilise it. In this case, be sure you can control the amount going into the pond so it is not over fertilised. Use about one pig per 166m2 of pond surface area.
Other animals integrated with fish culture include cattle, goats, sheep, ducks, geese and rabbits.
If rice is grown in paddies, it may be possible to rear fish in the rice paddies. This requires preparing the paddy a little differently than usual but can lead to an extra ‘crop’ (fish) without reducing rice production.
Plan daily activities so you accomplish as many tasks as possible on each trip. Try not to make any trip “empty handed.â€
Whenever possible, plan trips to the market or farm supply shop (for example, for fertilisers or feeds) so purchasing and delivery of supplies for all enterprises is done in a single trip, rather than making several trips.
Be creative in trying to find ways in which fish culture and your other farm enterprises can complement each other to help the farm reach top efficiency and greater profit.