Why Aquaculture Trials Have Not Been Successful in Tanzania? 121regularly (Ridler and Hishamunda, 2001). In that regard, commercial
aquaculture requires some cash and therefore access to bank credit is essential.
A recommended way to attract lending in the industry is to demonstrate its
profitability. That means, the contribution of aquaculture is best achieved if
aquaculture is taken as a business from the beginning of the promotional
programme.
Experience from elsewhere in the world supports the view that
aquaculture becomes sustainable when it is pursued for profit and is
commercially oriented from the outset. Sustainable small scale aquaculture is
enabled by relatively larger commercial investments that create demand for
quality seed, formulated feeds and markets (Ridler and Hishamunda, 2001). It
should be understood that commercial aquaculture is not an alternative to rural
aquaculture but rather a complement (ibid.). Commercial aquaculture has been
a helping hand to small-scale aquaculture in many ways. It aids rural
aquaculture by diffusing knowledge to small-scale rural aqua-farmers or acting
as models for rural aqua-farmers to emulate (ibid.). Similarly, income earned
from commercial aquaculture and research findings can support small-scale
aquaculture. That said, it should therefore be stressed that the top agenda in
development of aquaculture in Tanzania today is that of attracting commercial
farmers, who are capable of producing a surplus that can be saved and re-
invested (Sevillaje, 2000). Failure to emphasise the commercial rewards of
aquaculture enterprise often discourages potential SME producers.
Aquaculture should be seen as a business like any other farm enterprise and
should be promoted as such. Policies to subsidise and maintaining low prices
or even handing out juveniles for free discourage enterprise and establishes a
situation as if it would be impossible to farm without giveaway.
The Introduction Process of Aquaculture Trials
The manner that the projects were introduced had significant impact on
their sustainability. Often the promotion of aquaculture by government or
donor projects was accompanied with promises of assistance in cash and/or
kind. While such assistance to individuals or group members seemed useful at
the time in order to initiate aquaculture activities, it also had undesirable long
term impacts. Such assistance enabled group members to pay for pond
construction costs as well as purchasing feeds, fingerlings and other inputs
such as pumps, gum boots, pipes, hand hoe, shovels etc. Nevertheless, some
assistance like paying farmers to do activities that farmers could do themselves