WEALTH CREATION THROUGH EARTHEN FISH PONDS: CASE STUDY OF AIGBE STREAM IN OSOGBO, NIGERIA

Nigeria is among the largest fish consumers in the continent and the largest producer of African catfish. However, there is a gap in production–consumption which necessitates massive importation of frozen fish. Hence, for this study was carried out. It comprised of six pairs of adjoining ponds to Aigbe stream. Six ponds were dug on each side of the stream’s bank to make twelve ponds; each was 9 m × 9 m area. Each pond was stocked with 2,000 fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus. The fish were fed with fish pellets ad libitum. Weights of the feed were calculated at each point of feeding to ascertain that all pond have the same amount of feed. Harvested fish were weighed at cropping before sales. The findings of the study showed the profit for all the 12 ponds in the first year which was 140 per cent increase over total cost price of the project and 152 per cent increase over total cost price of the project in the subsequent year. There was an increase of 5.6% in the second year figure of merit over the value for the first year. The accrued profit was ₦4,580,000 which showed an average profit of ₦382,000 per pond. The results revealed higher level of fish productivity of 117,283.95 kg/ha year and fishcop economics of fish productivity value of 11.73 kgm-3. It was concluded that a lot of wealth may be created for peri-urban people if they embarked on fish rearing at stream site. The profitability of fish farming along Aigbe stream can be used as a template to advise and encourage intending fish farmers that fish production is profitable at the stream’s banks