Benefits of consuming hybrid catfish

A local farmer, Mr Anthony Hammed, has advised Nigerians to cultivate the habit of eating hybrid catfish because of its numerous nutritional values.

Hammed, the Chief Executive Officer of Simple and Standard Aquaculture Ltd., gave the advice in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos.

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Unlike channel catfish that spawn naturally, the hybrid catfish is a cross between two species that rarely mate with each other.

The farmer said the preference for hybrid catfish was based on how resistant it could be to diseases and infections because of its rugged nature.

He said that most fish farmers would prefer to stock the hybrid catfish instead of the regular ones because of its high level of profitability.

Hammed said, “Hybrid species of catfish consume more fertiliser in their cultivation but they convert it to nutrients that will enable them grow bigger.

“ I have not heard of any adverse effect of fertiliser on them.

“Most traditional species of catfish are very resistant to any foreign substances and you do not want to risk losing your stock but hybrid fishes are very rugged and can take in any fertiliser.

“Hybrid catfish are more rugged and resistant to diseases and they convert any food you give them to aid their development and growth.

“When you consume the hybrid catfish for persons who do not want fatty oils in their meals, it is also very healthy for them.’’

He said that he would recommend hybrid catfish to the public because they used to be bigger in size.

He, however, said that their growth rate could be slower than the traditional catfish.

He also advised the public people should not to be discouraged from consuming catfish in general because of the unscrupulous methods of cultivating catfish.

“We first start to groom catfish with imported feeds at the fingerling stage, it is usually called the floating feed.

“After one month, we start feeding them with local feeds from locally sourced materials such as groundnut cake, soya beans, flour, noodles and biscuits blended together.

“Some fish farmers also use poultry dumping to feed their catfish because it comes with maggot which are very rich in protein and good for the fish growth.

“Maggots are organic but they also come with infection that affects the fish sometimes, but when consumed by humans it is totally harmless.’’

Hammed said that it was just a figment of people’s imagination when they complained that the saw worms in catfish.

He said that there used to be an organ in catfish brains that is wormlike, adding that they were completely harmless.

“People should not be discouraged from consuming catfish.

“It is very healthy for them and the skins of catfish usually contain a lot of healthy fats,” Hammed said.