By Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS—The Lagos State  Government yesterday said it had harvested 50 tonnes of catfish in six months since the introduction of the commercial Cage Culture System fish farming.

Mr Oluwatoyin Suarau, Commissioner for Agriculture, said this during an inspection tour of the fish farm at the Agbowa-Ikosi Beach in Ikosi Ejirin Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

He said that the new system was introduced by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration to increase fish production and create more jobs for youths in the state.

On August 11, 2016, 60 youths were trained at the Agbowa-Ikosi Beach in Ikosi Ejirin Local Council Development Area of the state on the Cage Culture System, to promote fish farming and empower youths.

Suarau expressed delight at the success of the programme and encouraged youths to embrace fish farming as a major business to build a prosperous future for themselves.

The commissioner explained that the declining production by fishermen informed the policy shift of the government from capture fisheries to fish farming, otherwise known as aquaculture.

Suarau said that the Agbowa- Ikosi site was the starting point for the project, which the government intended to replicate in Badagry, Eti-Osa, Ikorodu and Epe riverine areas of the state.

Also speaking, Mr Sanni Okanlawon, Special Adviser to the governor on Food Security, urged other youths in the state to take advantage of the new fish farming initiative.