University Don Warns against Breeding Fish with Human Growth Hormone

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

A university don, Prof. Ronald Omotayo Fagbuaro, has recommended a law against breeding fish with human growth hormone because it poses a great danger to consumers.

He said this while delivering the 79th inaugural lecture of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, titled ‘Fish: The Unavoidable Aquatic Gold’.

He said when antibiotics and some other medications intended for human use are used in breeding fish, pointing out that the major long-term effect is that these chemicals or drugs will be stored in the tissues of those involved fish.

He warned that when consumed by humans, they consume different doses of residues of the chemicals from the flesh of the fish, which will eventually develop into tumours and cancers.

Fagbuaro said to address some of the challenges confronting fish farmers, the CBN extended loan facilities to fish farmers at little or no interest rate while the government at various levels should initiate more programmes to empower fish farmers and other farmers to reduce food shortage.

According to Fagbuaro, market failure is one of the major problems of fish farming in Nigeria.

“Unstable prices of feeds, drugs and fingerlings for stocking affect the farmers’ revenue. Also, poor road networks and the cost of transportation affect the profitability of the fish farming business,” said Fagbuaro. “Due to low access to the market, fish farmer sometimes must sell their produce at the farm gate, and the buyers purchase the products at ridiculous prices compared to what is obtainable in the market.

He added, “The government should, therefore, improve the state of road infrastructure to reduce the cost of transportation and losses on the road and link the fish farmers with off-takers who will buy the fish at a reasonable price.”

He noted that Nigerian farmers and the population are now confronted with an unprecedented wave of different but overlapping security crises from kidnapping, banditry and extreme insurgencies, pointing out that this has forced farmers to withdraw from farming activities.

He said there is an urgent need for the government at all levels to address security threats and soaring prices of food and other items.