Fish Pond Modifications, Maintenance, and the First Annual Harvest

Last month, a team of engineers from Engineers without Borders, University of Pittsburgh, came to my village for a little over two weeks to collect information and discuss potential solutions to current issues regarding the fish pond with myself and the villagers.

The villagers' primary concern is the flooding which occurs during the rainy season. Water within the pond rises to such a level that it overflows the banks and discharges into the adjacent roads and concessions. Although the inconvenience this presents to the villagers is an issue, the larger problem is that the fish then escape from the pond and are eaten by animals, taken by passersby, or die.

The villagers were also adamant about maintaining water in the pond year-round, but based upon conversations we had with local experts, this is not advisable. The pond must go dry, either naturally or by the use of pumps, in order to disinfect the clay lining and prevent disease.

Now, back in America, the engineers are now working with the information they collected to determine what type of construction can be done to improve the pond.

While they were here, we also discussed with the villagers several ongoing maintenance issues that they must account for on their own, such as cleaning the pond of trash, repairing the perimeter fencing, constructing a fish feeding area, and curbing the growth of grass within the pond. Since none of us have raised fish before, it has been a learning process for us all.

This was the first season during which the fish pond was on-line. Generally, the pond will be stocked during the rainy season and harvested prior to going dry in the hot season. This first harvest took place shortly after the Engineers without Borders crew left. Since the fish were not fed, along with the above-noted ongoing maintenance issue, this harvest was not as successful as it should be in subsequent years. Below is a series of pictures depicting how this was accomplished:

The fish pond was overgrown with grass. This grass should generally grow within only 10% of the surface area, located around the perimeter. This is one improvement to be made for next year. Since the grass was not controlled during this harvest, the men and young boys had to first hack away at the grass and haul it away to harvest the fish hiding beneath.

Village fishermen showing off their first haul of 'dɛbɛ' (tilapia). There are two types of fish kept within the pond; 'dɛbɛ' and 'mannɔgɔ' (catfish).

The harvest was an all-village affair. Many of the men within the village, fishermen and non-fishermen, got in the waters to fish either with nets or simply by hand. The small children did not miss the opportunity to get dirty. To the right of the picture is a man throwing a fish onto the banks. Fish were flying through the air as kids ran along the banks to gather them and place them in rice sacks.

Another picture of the men and young boys harvesting the fish pond, both by hand and with nets.

Another picture of the men and young boys harvesting the fish pond, both by hand and with nets.

Once the fish were caught, the 'dɛbɛ' were laid out in piles. They are traditionally sold in piles of 5 fish. The fish are assorted sizes, but each pile is judged by eye to be of about equal size. Each pile was sold for 250 CFA, or about 50 cents. All money raised goes into a 'kɛsu,' or savings account, to be used for work regarding the fish pond in the future.

Badama and Youssoufu weighing the fish using a hand-scale and bucket. The 'mannɔgɔ' were sold for 500 CFA a kilogram, and thus had to be weighed. We also weighed all of the fish for record-keeping and forecasting purposes.

A small quantity of each type of fish was to be placed within this concrete fingerlings pond in order to reproduce and restock the pond for next season. The villagers however got overzealous, and despite our advice to the contrary ended up putting a huge quantity of fish, over 275, into the pond. Unfortunately, all of the 'dɛbɛ' died over the course of a few days, while the 'mannɔgɔ' thrived. The 'mannɔgɔ' can tolerate crowded, dirty water whereas the 'dɛbɛ' are much more sensitive.

The concrete fingerlings pond. The villagers built a cover to place atop the structure, as they were concerned that people would walk by and steal the fish.

Local men counting out fish to be weighed and sold.

During the second day of harvest, the villagers built a mud dam in the center of the pond, and used buckets to drain the water out from one side. They then were able to easily locate and catch the fish in the diminished water.

Men and children catching fish in the lowered section of the pond.

The villagers then broke open a couple of channels in the dam, allowing water to flow out of the high side. They then closed the dam back up with mud and vegetation, and used buckets to further drain the water.

Youssoufu and young boys skimming the mud for fish at the end of the hot season. The pond was previously harvested over the course of two days, yet not all of the fish were caught. As the pond continued to dry, we noticed many 'mannɔgɔ' still thriving in the soupy mud. So the villagers came back in and filtered through the mud by hand. It was amazing to see how the 'mannɔgɔ' could survive in mud, not water. They certainly are a hearty fish.

The rains arrived last week, with the result that the pond is once again holding water. Now the villagers must prepare the pond by pulling out grass and trash, and constructing a fish feeding area, prior to restocking the pond.