Jerry Mang’ena, a WISHH strategic partner and Department of State Mandela Washington Fellow, holds a WISHH-sponsored training in aquaculture in Tanzania.

ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health program continues its strong aquaculture partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa. WISHH partnered with Tanzania-based Aqua-Farms Hatcheries to deliver a one-week training to 20 tilapia hatchery managers, technicians, and researchers. WISHH is at the forefront of aquaculture development in the region, providing technical support to entrepreneurs and improving relationships with business partners to further develop the market for U.S. soy-based feeds.

The training offered hands-on experience on brood and seed handling, embryo incubation, larval feed preparation, feeding and emerging technologies to enhance tilapia fingerling production in Tanzania.

The 20 trainees received expert instruction from U.S.-based educators, including Amrit Bart, Ph.D., from the University of Georgia. Bart served as an instructor through the Reciprocal Exchange component of the U.S. State Department’s Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The reciprocal exchange component provides state department funding to pay for U.S. professionals to travel to sub-Saharan Africa for projects with Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni. Longtime WISHH strategic partner and aquaculture expert Karen Veverica, Ph.D., also assisted in the training. Veverica is the former director of the E.W. Shell Fisheries Center at Auburn University, with over 25 years of experience in sub-Saharan Africa.

Jerry Mang’ena, executive director of AFH, met Bart as a Mandela Washington Fellow at the University of Georgia in 2019. ASA/WISHH used funds from the USDA’s Market Access Program to partner with Mang’ena’s AFH to deliver this expert training to hatcheries in Tanzania. ASA/WISHH partners like AFH are a critical component of growing the aquaculture value chain in developing markets like Tanzania.

ASA/WISHH used the training opportunity to expand its East African aquaculture industry network, paving the way for future collaboration with AFH and the Aquaculture Association of Tanzania.

Through this training, participants are hoping to improve their tilapia seed production by avoiding the common mistakes that lowered their tilapia production seed from time to time and at a reduced quality.

“The training was not just a point of receiving, but it also gave an opportunity for participants to share experience among others and create a room for more collective action to address the common challenges facing aquaculture in Tanzania,” Mang’ena said.

During the training, participants had an opportunity to virtually meet the Director of Aquaculture in Tanzania, Nazael Madalla, Ph.D., who gave closing remarks and encouraged the participants to make use of the gained skills while the government is actively supporting investment in the aquaculture value chain.