In its continued bid to make Rwanda self sufficient in fish production, government has ordered for 35,000 fingerlings from Uganda to restock Rwanda’s land water bodies.
Rwanda Animal Resources Development Authority (RARDA) said delivery of the fingerlings will be made in two weeks time to fill the fish ponds of Kanyonyomba, Rulindo and Kigembe.

"We intend to do massive multiplication and distribution from these new genetic materials here instead of continling importing fingerings,” Dr. Theogene Rutagwenda said Thursday in an interview.

Last year, Rwanda imported 45,000 tilapia fingerlings from Uganda to replenish L.Muhazi and L. Cyohoha.

Rutagwenda said they have so far locally produced 98,118 fingerlings which were later planted in Rushashi, Rusumo, Nkungu, Karubanda, Kamonyi and Rwamagana swamps and fish bonds.

The move has helped Rwanda to cut fish imports by 11 percent, RARDA says.

"The target to be self sufficient in fish production is viable considering  that they take a short period to grow,” Rutagwenda said.

Available information shows that first harvest was registered in Cyohoha where 223 kg was harvested (166 kg of tilapia and 57 kg of clarias).

According Rutagwenda, Rwandan lakes and fish ponds are worn-out following over-fishing and application of poor methods of fishing like the use of small nets.

Recently, during the launch of the first harvest in Cyohoha, RARDA burnt a heap of small nets that were being used by fishermen.

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