Greenfield Aquafarm and Research (GAR) collaborated with the Fisheries Commission and the Jomoro Municipal Assembly in Half Assini to organise a practical aquaculture training program for 50 fish farmers in the Jomoro municipality on Friday 7th August 2026 at New Nzulezo. Fish welfare is often overlooked in pursuit of increased production. In many farms, practices such as overstocking densities, poor handling during grading and harvesting, improper feeding, and inadequate biosecurity expose fish to unnecessary stress, injuries, and disease outbreaks. These conditions ultimately reduce growth performance, increase mortality, and lower overall farm productivity. The training sought to build the capacity of fish farmers to adopt practical, welfare-centered farm management practices that reduce fish stress, minimize mortality, improve productivity, and increase farm profitability. Specifically, the training programme engaged participants on the following topics:
- Ethical fish handling, harvesting, and transportation techniques to minimize stress and mortality.
- Proper feed storage, handling, and feeding practices to improve feed efficiency and fish growth.
- Species-specific and production system-specific stocking density recommendations for optimal fish health and performance.
- Practical farm biosecurity measures for preventing disease introduction and spread.
- Farm record-keeping and data-driven decision-making to improve farm management, productivity, and profitability.
The four-hour training program employed interactive classroom presentations, facilitated discussions, group exercises, case studies, and hands-on demonstrations at the New Nzulezo Peace Youth Association fish farm. The farmers were very excited for this practical exposure and pleaded with Greenfield Aquafarm & Research and the Fisheries Commission to also help them access premium markets for their produce.
