Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
What means BOMOSA?
BOMOSA is standing for the whole fish farming system (fish-cage aquaculture technology implemented via a hub and plot approach by local stakeholders) and the acronym has been derived from the names of the three pioneering institutions BOku-University Vienna, Austria, MOi University, Eldoret, Kenya and SAgana Fish Farm, Kenya.
What is a "hub and plot system"?
BOMOSA hubs are aquatic farming centers, acting as information, dissemination and training centers for BOMSOA farmers. Hubs are providing expertise and products to fish farmers such as: fish (producing fish fingerlings), equipment (piers, cages, feeding machines), fish feeds (feed processing & pelleting), plot management (fish parasites/diseases control, water quality control, etc) and socio-economic know-how (marketing, product development,etc).
BOMOSA plots are BOMOSA fish farming sites, consisting of: pier, approx 10 cages, fish feeding machines (clock-work operated), fish feeds produced from agricultural by-products. BOMOSA plots can be managed by private persons, institutions (schools/universities) and rural communities.
A typical community "plot committee" consists of: plot scientist, plot manager, community representative, community merchandiser, community teacher, women`s representative.
Which fish species are suitable for BOMOSA schemes?
At this stage, BOMOSA will only utilize native fish species such as Nile Tilapia and African Catfish, which are suitable for local consumption.
Provision of aquaculture know-how and trouble shooting to BOMOSA farmers?
BOMOSA plots are located within a reasonable distance from a hub (fish farm center) allowing easy transport of fingerlings, enabling hub-plot communication/training and fast interventions in case of eventual problems.
What if communities are not used to eat fish and thus there is no market for fish?
BOMOSA is utilizing a participatory approach to assess factors of social acceptance and employ capacity building measures to assist development of local markets, so that fish production will generate benefits at community and regional levels. Following factors will are investigated to achieve social acceptance in rural communities:
- Implementation of a participatory approach to involve community stakeholders from planning phase.
- Consideration of ethical, gender and cultural aspects.
- Consideration of resource use conflicts on traditional farming methods and other potential "livelihood" effects.
- Determining current preferences and demands in local and regional markets.
- Design and apply suitable dissemination measures to promote the benefits of localized fish production, both in terms of human nutrition and additional income.
How to get appropriate fish feed?
Most aquaculture production within developing countries is semi-intensive and small-scale with nutrient inputs supplied in the form of fertilizers and supplementary `farm-made' aquafeeds; the latter ranging from the use of fresh grass cuttings, cereal by-products, through to sophisticated on-farm pelleted feeds. In contrast to industrially produced compound aquafeeds (more commonly used within intensive aquaculture), BOMOSA farm-made feeds allow the small-scale farmer to tailor feed inputs to their own financial resources and requirements, and facilitate the use of locally available agricultural by-products which would otherwise have limited use within the community.
What about environmental impacts and public health issues?
Because of the small scale and the decentralized locations of BOMOSA plots, the accumulative environmental impact through non-consumed feed and generated fish waste is expected to be ecologically sustainable by the water body. However, this will be an area of research within the BOMOSA project i.e. to determine the optimum stocking densities of fish per cage and ratios of cage to water volumes with consideration of seasonal water fluctuations and eco-zone characteristics. Simple environmental monitoring tools will be developed in order to avoid exceeding the environmental carrying capacities of water bodies and to avoid adverse veterinary and public health aspects Environmental and public health issues, along with ownership and other potential conflict issues will form the recommendations for developing an institutional framework in close cooperation with African national fisheries authorities from the partner countries.