Veromica Giwa
Zone D residents in Aladeowo/Aba nla Estate in Ido Local government area of Oyo State are lamenting the increase in unsafe fish farming practice in their community which is affecting the health of the residents. With the proliferation of fish farming in the area, earthen ponds have sprouted amidst residential buildings. As a result, residents expressed concerns over unsafe practices in these fish farms which is causing clashes between the fish farmers, residents and the Landlord Association.
It was discovered that one such dispute unfolded when an earthen fish pond was erected right in front of a residential house causing conflict that was ultimately resolved by the Landlord Association. The Zonal Chairman of the Aladeowo/Aba nla Landlord Association, Oloye Sola Abraham, said initially he was not aware of the air pollution caused by the unsafe activities of fish farmers because he was rarely around.
However, he took action immediately it came to his notice. “I and some executives went to meet these farmers and we told them to practice safe fish farming. We could not wait long at the farmstead where the animal proteins were kept because the smell was unbearable. Inhaling such pungent smell could be injurious to the health. “When we saw that they persisted in this act, we wrote two warning letters to them emphasizing that their activities would be reported to environmental officials, woléwolé. We also met some of these farmers in person to tell them this. After these strict warnings we noticed some adjustments. Even though they kept on using animal proteins which are fresh without smell.”
Oloye Abraham noted that as long as the activities of the fish farmers do not affect residents, they can go ahead with their activities in Aladeowo. The Zonal Secretary, Aladeowo/Aba nla Landlord Association, Felix Tokede, while speaking with said, fish farming in the community has been a long-standing tradition. According to him, “the early days, a few earthen ponds were discreetly located far from residential areas, and fish feed was the primary source of nourishment for the aquatic occupants.
Over time, however, economic considerations drove fish farmers to supplement fish feed with unconventional elements like maggots from carcasses, cow dung, and animal proteins such as offals from ruminants and poultry waste. This shift in feeding practices led to pungent odors that permeated the air, causing distress to residents living near these earthen ponds. Tokede recounted an incident where a resident, a pastor, claimed to have fallen ill due to the foul smell. These clashes between farmers and residents prompted the Landlord Association to intervene. They first met with the farmers, urging them to adopt safe fish farming practices, but the overpowering stench from the animal proteins proved too much to bear.
The Landlord Association issued stern warnings, including two written notices to the farmers, threatening to report their activities to environmental authorities. Despite these warnings, the use of animal proteins continued, albeit with nonchalant behaviours. Yomi Fapohunda, who is a resident and also knowledgeable in fish rearing explained the rationale behind the use of animal proteins in fish farming.
He said Fish farmers typically transition from feeding their fish a standard “ration” when young to incorporating chicken offals at a later stage. This shift occurs because mature fish require more substantial and nutritionally dense feed. While feeds designed for the entire growth cycle of fish are available, the use of chicken offals helps farmers reduce costs while meeting the nutritional needs of their fish.
He emphasized that it was chicken offals from a popular poultry factory (Zartech) that are being used as feeds for the fish and not offals from ruminants. Recognizing the potential health hazards, he took measures to ensure his tenants used fish feed exclusively, especially after experiencing the overwhelming odor from leftover offals.
“I don’t want a situation where an epidemic breaks out as a result of the activities of my tenants. Flies that have formerly perched on leftover offals can cause harm to the health of residents. If leftover offals are to be used it should be far away from residential areas to avoid outbreak of epidemic and foul smell
“When I saw that the smell from the leftover offal used became unbearable for me and other residents, I called my former tenants telling them to stop using chicken waste product and insisted that they use fish feed all through. I told them if they could not afford imported feeds they should use the local ones from feed mills. Meanwhile my new tenants do not use chicken waste products, they use ration throughout the breeding stage”
Professionals and concerned persons expressed their views
Fapohunda defended the practice, explaining that the lands in question were swamps with limited alternative uses. While acknowledging the potential for air and water pollution, he maintained that unless fish farming activities posed a direct threat to residents, such endeavors were essential for the land’s utility and livelihoods. “These lands cannot serve any other purpose than what it is being used for now. They are swamps and using them as ponds is the only option we have, if we do not want it to be useless.”
“Urban Agriculture has become the new normal, and it should be done appropriately. It only becomes unfair if activities of the farmer affects residents around such farm” he concluded.
In an interview with an expert and CEO Catfish enterprise, Kenneth Odoemenam,. He argued that locating fish ponds in residential areas was unwise due to the inadequate wastewater management systems in such locales. He said, “Concrete, tarpaulin, and rubber tanks require frequent water changes, and many residential areas lack suitable drainage systems. Adding that water from these ponds can pollute both the air and water bodies, potentially affecting residents’ health”
Odoenenam stressed that while poultry waste products could be used for earthen ponds, they were unsuitable for other forms of fish farming. The decaying waste in earthen ponds can break down into maggots, serving as a natural source of nourishment for fish. However, in other forms, it lacks this natural decomposition process and may lead to the spread of diseases.
“Poultry offals can only be used for Earthen ponds, but for any other type of pond it can cause diseases to Fish and people alike. It should be prepared properly too before usage to avoid diseases break out.”
