ketutu problem

As some of you have know, I started conducting short courses on how to grow marbled goby(k22) in control environment ie aquaculture. From the feedback of my fellow students or listener, it is obvious that there are many people who are interested and fascinated with the technic of rearing this fish. Many of them are new to the industry and very keen to take up the culture of this fish as their bread and butter.

However, as much as I would like to encourage them to do so, the challenges that they will be facing are numerous and some are as tough as toenails. At the end it can be overcame if we all work in tandom. Apart from normal challenge of farming the fish, some of the challenges are

1. lack of good supply of seeds.

2. no commercial feed available

3. lack of systematic commercialization of this fish.

The seeds/fry supply problem should be resolved through extensive reseachers done by local researchers. However, they have not provide the seed as needed by the industry. (maybe they are growing it by themself). Seed from Thailand are now getting less as it is taken up by grower in china and taiwan. Wild seeds quality are many time suspect interm of quality and sustainability.

The lack or unavailability of commercial feed can be resolved if there is enough demand for it.

Systematic commercialization of this fish can be resolved if all farmer work together to market the fish. This however, can only be resolved if there is enough supply of this fish to make it commercially viable to have a more systematic selling of the fish.

As our government are throwning a lot of money in the market in the way of aquaculture, it might be a good idea if we can go to them in one group to see which are that DOF or any other government body that can help us. For this I propose that we start of with our unofficial Kelab Penternak Hantu. Since I put up the idea in one of the aqua forum, there are many positive response. As such, all participant of my training course will be members of the club unless they say no. Once I have about 200 members, I will call for a meeting and getting something going like seminars or workshop conducted for members or farm visits or just get together. At the end, as group we might be able to find way to over come some of the challeges that I have listed above.

eof