Establishment of a Research Network on the

André Coche¹ and M. Pedini^2
1 FAO Consultant, ² Fishery Resources Division, FAO

The identification mission

As a follow-up to the Study on International Fisheries Research (SIFR, 1989-91), FAO, in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa and the European Union, launched in 1992 a regional study on aquaculture development and research in sub-Saharan Africa. The resulting synthesis of the information presented in 12 national reviews on development and research needs provided the basis for proposing an indicative Action Plan for Aquaculture Research in sub-Saharan Africa in 1994. Eight priority research programmes were identified among which "Aquaculture in irrigation schemes" and "Small water body fisheries enhancement" were included. These programmes would operate as networks and would be supported by an Aquatic Systems Information Network already proposed in 1997.

Since 1995, the FAO Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) is gradually being implemented in several African countries. It includes an irrigation component which should

develop and demonstrate appropriate irrigation technologies which can be effectively sustained by small-scale farmers. The SPFS also includes a diversification component including rural aquaculture. Small-scale aquaculture could be successfully integrated with irrigation whenever local conditions permit, resulting in a number of varied benefits from practical, social, economical and agricultural points of views.

In the context of sub-Saharan Africa, small-water bodies (SWB) are generally defined as small man-made impoundments of water built primarily for domestic use, livestock watering, and/or irrigation, where fish production is usually a secondary use. SWB fisheries differ significantly from natural lake fisheries and are susceptible to enhancement. Seasonally variable water levels and the resulting magnification of environmental variation, artificial assemblages of mainly riverine fish species in a lacustrine environment, and relatively small surface areas are all characteristics which may be exploited, through improved management and aquaculture techniques, to increase fish production.

During the past five years in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the FAO Aquaculture for Local Community Development Programme (ALCOM) tested and developed methodologies for the rapid evaluation of SWB fishery potential and for community-based enhancement/management of SWB fish resources. Guidelines are now being prepared which should prove useful for other countries.

Irrigation Potential and Development

• Surface irrigation with full or partial water control which offers the best possibilities for integrating aquaculture, in particular in large-scale irrigation schemes, is mostly developed in Mali. Zambia and Zimbabwe have each more than 20 000 ha of surface irrigated area, much more than Burkina Faso and Ghana. In this last country, the actually irrigated area is only 61 percent of the equipped area, although great efforts are now being made to rehabilitate old schemes.

• Overhead irrigation by sprinklers is particularly well developed in Zimbabwe and even in Zambia. This system is preferred because it uses water much more efficiently. For the same reason, micro-irrigation (drip) is being increasingly used in southern Africa.

• Wetlands and/or inland valley bottoms are particularly extended in Zambia where dambos are traditionally irrigated by hand and where the SPFS is actually concentrating its efforts. It has been shown that several possibilities exist to integrate small-scale fish farming in such areas. Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe (and probably Ghana) have also relatively extended wetlands used by smallholders. In Mali, such areas are limited to the south western part of the country.

• Overhead irrigation by sprinklers is particularly well developed in Zimbabwe and even in Zambia. This system is preferred because it uses water much more efficiently. For the same reason, micro-irrigation (drip) is being increasingly used in southern Africa.

• Wetlands and/or inland valley bottoms are particularly extended in Zambia where dambos are traditionally irrigated by hand and where the SPFS is actually concentrating its efforts. It has been shown that several possibilities exist to integrate small-scale fish farming in such areas. Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe (and probably Ghana) have also relatively extended wetlands used by smallholders. In Mali, such areas are limited to the south western part of the country.

• Flood-dependent irrigation is practised in Mali in the Niger River valley over a large area. Results have been disappointing in recent years following the reduced river peak flood level. There is little potential for integrating aquaculture in this type of irrigation.

• Irrigation potential is huge in Ghana and nearly four times greater than the potential in Mali and Zambia, the next countries with good potential.

Smallest potential is found in Burkina Faso.

Integration of Aquaculture and Irrigation

Several types of integration of aquaculture in large irrigation schemes have been tried in Mali and further trials have been proposed recently. There is good experience also in Ghana where an integration policy

has existed for some time. Even though several proposals for integration have been made in Burkina Faso at the Sourou irrigation scheme in the past, none have been implemented, although the enhancement of SWB fisheries has been practiced throughout the country for several years.

As far as traditional irrigation in wetlands is concerned, the Zambia SPFS is actively carrying out the most recent trials on small-scale fish farming integration into small-holder irrigation. This has been supported by a full time aquaculturist, with technical assistance from a consultant and ALCOM. In the other countries, aquaculture is under consideration, but the SPFS has still to get fully underway.

Recommendations for the initial establishment of the network

Identification of Potential Initial Members of the Research Network

The mission identified national institutions that could initially make up the new research network, in each of the countries visited, except in Zimbabwe, where a regional development project has been proposed.

The recommended institutions are shown in Table 1.

Coordination with Existing African Networks

The new research network for aquaculture integration into irrigation schemes should cooperate closely with other networks active in Africa and specialized in irrigation, regional development or fisheries.

Future collaboration with these networks will be particularly useful for the organization of seminars/workshops, for group training and for dissemination of information through existing channels such as newsletters and publications.

Establishment of the New Network

The mission proposed that the following successive steps be taken to establish the network:

1. An official invitation should be addressed by FAO to the Director of the selected institutions to participate in the Seminar proposed below.

2. Author's contracts should be issued for the preparation of national reviews/syntheses, according to a standard framework, by each of the institutions having expressed an interest to participate in the Seminar, with or without support from other institutions as necessary.

3. A seminar should be organized to:

• review development and research constraints existing in the participating countries, in particular following the outline agreed for the national reviews;

• discuss future organization responsibilities and functioning of the new network, in particular from the point of view of using two languages, English and French;

• agree on applied research priorities and a research programme for the new network to support the development of the integration of aquaculture and irrigation;

• recommend how such research could be carried out in the field in each of the involved countries, with particular attention to human and financial resources to be mobilized to this effect; and

• recommend best approaches to establishing linkages with other existing African networks of interest.

Participants in the seminar should include representatives from the selected countries, directly involved in research and/or development of irrigation, aquaculture and SWB fisheries.

Representatives of other existing networks should also be invited to share their past experiences with networking and to stimulate future collaborative activities.

Potential Research Subjects for the New Network

The mission suggested a series of research topics, addressing both general and particular aspects of aquaculture integrated into irrigation schemes. Specialized research was suggested for:

• undrainable fish farming structures;

• ponds with an unusually high water exchange rate;

• ponds built in waterlogged areas, in terrain depressions or in borrowing pits;

• fish farming in paddy fields;

• fish production in irrigation canals, either in pens or in floating cages;

• culture-based fisheries either in irrigation canals or in small irrigation reservoirs.

Table 1. Suggested founding members of the proposed network

¹ Farm-level Applied Research Methods for East and Southern Africa (FARMESA)