BACKGROUND
The
Federal Government of Nigeria in a bid to increase fish production through
brackish water fish farming requested the Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) of the United Nations (UN) in 1962 to carry out investigations into the
possibility of increasing fish production through aquaculture. The FAO granted this request in October, 1962
and sent an expert to conduct experiments in Buguma, Asari Toru Local
Government Area, Rivers State.
In
1963, the FAO expert, Dr. T.V.R. Pillay, his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. S.A.
Wokoma under the auspices of the Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF) and in
collaboration with Niger Delta Development Board completed their initial
assignment; having demonstrated the feasibility of a fish culture project and
the urgent need to train extension personnel to assist in the development of
brackish water fish farming. Hence, the
brackish water aquaculture station at Buguma was established on 25 ha land area. Experiments continued from 1962 to 1967 but
were interrupted by the Nigerian Civil War in 1967. Work at Buguma was reactivated in 1970. In 1975, on the establishment of the Nigerian
Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), the management of the
research station at Buguma was transferred from FDF to the Institute (NIOMR).
Similarly
also, the need for aquaculture development in the African region led to the
birthing of African Regional Aquaculture Centre in 1980 which originated as a
result of recommendations of the Aquaculture Planning Regional Workshop that
was held in Accra, Ghana in 1975. The
establishment of ARAC was also in line with the recommendation of the FAO
Technical Conference on Aquaculture held in Kyoto, Japan in 1976 when a world
strategy for aquaculture development was conceived. The pilot operations phase of ARAC started in
1979 with the assistance of FAO/UNDP and the project took off in 1980 and was
operationally completed on 31st August, 1987. The funding and operations of ARAC became the
responsibility of the Federal Government of Nigeria and so ARAC was officially
handed over to NIOMR in 1987. The
freshwater station of ARAC is located in Omuihuechi, Aluu, Ikwerre Local
Government Area, Rivers State covering an area of 81 ha.
Both
the freshwater and brackish water stations were from then on referred to as the
African Regional Aquaculture Centre of the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography
and Marine Research (ARAC/NIOMR).
ARAC
is involved in fisheries and aquaculture research, development and
training. ARAC is affiliated to the
Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) for the award of
Master of Science (M. Sc) and Post graduate Diploma (PGD) in Aquaculture. Hands-on training programmes for farmers across the aquaculture value chain is a regular feature in the ARAC curriculum.
MISSION
ARAC is a centre of excellence that focuses
on multi-disciplinary approach to user-driven aquaculture research, development
and training in sub-Saharan Africa geared towards sustainable fish production
in the region.
GOALS
Develop
scientific databank
Develop a databank of scientific
information that could address current and future problems in aquaculture for
the commercial production of fin and shellfish species and fisheries products,
using current and scientifically tested protocols.
Build
linkages
Build partnerships and linkages across
local, regional and international boundaries through networking and technical
cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organizations, research
institutions and consortia of universities from both Anglophone and Francophone
speaking countries in Africa and beyond.
Monitoring
and Evaluation
Monitor research output/outcomes regularly
with the view of studying impacts and improving quality of technologies
developed.
