Frozen Catfish Will Reduce Market Price, Increase Availability – LASCAFAN

The Lagos State Catfish and Allied Association of Nigeria (LASCAFAN) says the introduction of frozen catfish in the aquaculture value chain will reduce the price of frozen fish in the country.

Mr Sejiro Oke-Tojinu, Lagos State LASCAFAN Chairman, said this in an interview in Lagos.

Oke-Tojinu said the initiative would make catfish available and affordable to consumers.

He described the introduction of frozen catfish as a magic in the aquaculture value chain.

Oke-Tojinu, however, called for increased research and cultivation of indigenous local species to boost the nation’s aquaculture value chain.

“A lot of indigenous species are on the increase and many of them are depleted in the wild due to lack of research and cultivation,” he said.

According to him, imported frozen fish is more expensive at the moment and people can’t even afford it due to the economy situation.

He added that the introduction of frozen catfish would drive research into development of more local species and not just catfish and tilapia.

“With our latest blast freezer, frozen catfish is a magic that will bring the price of fish down and make it affordable.

“This is a magic in the aquaculture value chain. Now, people can buy frozen catfish from various cold-room just like the Titus or any other imported fish.

“Interestingly, at times when challenges come up, it makes us wake-up, now I think we’ve woken up.

“This is enough to really do more when it comes to local production of fish.

“We have a lot of indigenous species that are on the increase and a lot of them are depleted in the wild.

“This calls for more research, this calls for more indigenous cultivation of our local species.

“This is going to drive research and I believe in the next couple of years from now, we should be talking of more species and not just the catfish and tilapia,” he said.

NAN/Oyenike Oyeniyi