Aquaculture for Indigenous Species Conservation and Sustainable Food Systems in Isoko Communities, Delta State, Nigeria
Project Goals
To create sustainable, community-led aquaculture systems that improve food security, conserve indigenous aquatic species, generate livelihoods, and strengthen environmental resilience in Delta State communities.
Increase community participation in sustainable aquaculture.
Conserve indigenous aquatic species.
Reduce dependence on expensive commercial fish feed.
Build local technical capacity through training.
Promote environmental stewardship and pollution management.
Create sustainable livelihood opportunities for youth and women.
The Mission
To promote sustainable aquaculture practices, conserve indigenous aquatic species, empower youth and women, and strengthen resilient food systems in vulnerable communities through education, innovation, and community-driven participation.
Locations
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The Challenge
Communities in Irri, Ughelli, and Abraka face declining indigenous fish populations, environmental pollution, climate-related risks, high aquaculture production costs, limited technical knowledge, and weak participation in sustainable aquaculture practices.
The project communities experience multiple barriers to sustainable aquaculture development. Pollution and environmental degradation threaten aquatic ecosystems and fish production, particularly in Ughelli.
Frequent flooding in Irri discourages investment in aquaculture and creates uncertainty for farmers. High feed costs and dependence on commercial feed reduce profitability for small-scale fish farmers.
Additionally, many community members lack technical knowledge, access to training, and confidence to adopt sustainable aquaculture practices.
These challenges contribute to reduced food security, loss of indigenous aquatic species, and limited economic opportunities for youth and women.
Quantitative Baseline Data & Spatial Findings
The baseline assessment surveyed exactly 63 households (split evenly with 21 households per community). It revealed specific structural differences that dictated the project's strategy:
Abraka: Characterized by high aquaculture participation but low species diversity.
Ughelli: Demonstrated the highest overall fish production levels but faced severe pollution pressures.
Irri: Showed lower adoption rates coupled with strong extension-related and flood constraints.
Strategic Response
The project addresses these challenges through a multi-faceted approach:
Conducting baseline assessments and community sensitization.
Establishing aquaculture demonstration systems tailored to local conditions.
Introducing Black Soldier Fly larvae production to reduce feed costs.
Training community members and local trainers in sustainable aquaculture.
Implementing hatchery and fish-rearing systems for indigenous species conservation.
Conducting bioremediation demonstrations to address water pollution.
Engaging secondary school students through advocacy and internship opportunities.
Forming community aquaculture cooperatives to sustain production and market access.
Methodology
The project adopts an evidence-based and community-centered approach:
Baseline Assessment and Community Engagement
Conduct surveys and sensitization activities.
Identify local challenges and opportunities.
Infrastructure Development
Establish earthen ponds and tarpaulin tank systems.
Set up Black Soldier Fly larvae production units.
Capacity Building
Train community trainers.
Conduct cascaded training for youth and women.
Technical Implementation
Implement hatchery and fish-rearing activities.
Demonstrate alternative feeding systems.
Introduce bioremediation techniques.
Youth Advocacy and Recruitment
Engage secondary schools.
Recruit interns and new participants.
Sustainability and Cooperative Development
Form aquaculture cooperatives.
Provide business and governance training.
Develop market linkages and scale-up strategies.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Track performance indicators.
Assess outcomes against baseline data.
Document lessons learned and success stories.
Project Roadmap
Community sensitization sessions and structured baseline assessments (63 households surveyed).
Site selection, custom infrastructure setups (earthen/tarpaulin), and Black Soldier Fly (BSF) integration.
Train-the-Trainers capacity development for selected local lead community mentors.
Phase II: Cascaded training sessions, localized hatchery operations (Irri), and bioremediation demonstrations (Ughelli).
School-based advocacy campaigns, youth intern recruitment, and pairing recruits with nearby demonstration sites.
Cooperative development, business/governance training, end-of-project review, scale-up planning, and final report submission.
Partnership & Collaboration
UNESCO
Nestlé
Project Gallery
Visual snapshots of our work in the field and implementation details.
Water Quality Training
Teamwork in fish feed formulation.
Mixing BSF Larva Substrate
Using BSF as feed