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Africa News of Monday, 24 February 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Why Rwanda banned importation of Tilapia Fish

Image of Tilapia fingerlings Image of Tilapia fingerlings

Rwandan Government has announced the ban of importation of Tilapia Fish the importation of tilapia fingerlings (young tilapia fish), according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI)

The ban, according to MINAGRI, is as a result of the discovery of the tilapia lake virus (TiLV) disease which was identified in various countries. The move is to prevent the virus from entering Rwanda.

According to reports, the virus affects both wild and farmed tilapia fish, and it can cause a decline in tilapia catch quantities.

Agriculture minister Gérardine Mukeshimana says that any person who wants to bring fingerlings of other fish species into the country will have to request for a license from the ministry.

Dr Solange Uwituze, Deputy Director-General of Animal Research and Technology Transfer at Rwanda Agricultural Board, told The New Times that the disease is not zoonotic, meaning that it does not affect humans.

Uwituze said that confirmed countries with TiLV include Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico (in six Mexican States), Philippines, Malaysia, Peru, India and Tanzania.

Countries at high risk of TiLV, Uwituze said, are Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burundi, Canada, China, Congo, El-Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania and Rwanda. Others include Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirate, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam and Zambia.

Uwituze said that live fish that were being imported were a small amount (around 5000) of fingerlings to serve for broodstock [for breeding purposes] for satellite (or secondary) hatcheries.

HOw to detect the virus

The ministry said that farmers should pay attention to signs such as, extreme death of fish in the lake, fish cages, ponds among others, and skin redness, the bulging of the eye out of the orbit, and skin loss on fish whose death is undetermined.

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