Boosting fish production in Cameroon: Incorporated fish-rice farming versus earthen pond fish culture in Buea, Mount Cameroon region

Wetland incorporated fish-rice farming (FRF) is a possible solution to the problem of high costs of fish feeds in aquaculture in Cameroon. For 12 weeks, at the University of the Buea (UB) the growth of the fish, Clarias gariepinus in concurrent culture with rice (Oryza sativa, L.) in two rice plots (rice plot 1 and rice plot 2stocking sites) in the University of Buea wetland and in two earthen ponds (fish pond 1 and fish pond 2stocking sites) fed compounded diet at 5% body weight was investigated. Physico-chemical water quality parameters of all the fish culture sites were monitored. Mean fish weight gain was significantly higher (P<0.01) in the wetland rice plots (329.21±44.35g) than in the two earthen ponds (30.01±2.84g). Apart from low mean dissolved oxygen values in the rice plot 1 (3.14±1.19 mg/L) and rice plot 2 (2.18±0.23 mg/L), mean values for physico-chemical water quality parameters were within recommended ranges for C. gariepinus growth in all the four culture sites. This FRF experiment proved a better practice in fish growth than the conventional earthen pond culture in Buea, Cameroon. Its adoption by local fish farmers is recommended. Keywords: Wetland integrated fish-rice farming, C gariepinus, earthen pond culture, and fishpond.