By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State government has identified the rate of pollution, high cost of fishing inputs and others as factors responsible for the decline in production and supply of fish in the state.

This came as the government last weekend, concluded training for 89 beneficiaries in fish farm production techniques as part of measures to address the decline in supply of fish in the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Olajide Basorun, who made the observation at the closing ceremony of the 11th annual executive training on investment opportunities in fish farming for 89 beneficiaries, said participants from different walks of life were issued certificates.

Basorun restated the state government’s commitment to facilitate capacity building for fish farmers and create grounds for easy access to credit facilities.

“Government will continue to create enabling and conducive environment, facilitate capacity building and create ground for easy access to credit facility for fish farmers so as to reduce cost of production and enhance their profitability.

“The reduction in fish supply is due to a number of factors, which include pollution, high cost of fishing inputs, use of obnoxious fishing methods, rural-urban drift and over fishing, among others,” he said.

He said traditionally, residents had always been fishermen but lamented that over the years, the catches had been dwindling.

According to him, this prompted government to introduce fish farming about 20 years ago to address the dwindling supply of fishes in the state.
Basorun noted that the executive training on farming was conceived 11 years ago to expose participants to new investment opportunities in the fisheries value chain.