The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is looking at the possibility of helping Solomon Islanders go into aquaculture or fish farming.
SPC Director of Fisheries Mike Batty held discussions with officials of the Ministry on the possibility of introducing "Super Tilapia" farming in Solomon Islands.Mr Batty who had worked for many years in Solomon Islands with the Ministry of Fishery says people in Rennell Islands in the Rennell Bellona Province have been farming another species of tilapia for many years.
He says the "Super Tilapia" is a genetically improved species which has the potential to do well in Solomon Islands.
Mr Batty says because Super Tilapia is a new species, the Ministry of Fishery is assessing the risk of introducing it in the country.
But he says tilapia fish is easy to farm because it does not demand much to manage.
"The good thing about tilapia is that it is an easy fish to farm. It does not needs very good supply of water. You can farm it in ponds; you don't need a river to run through. For its feed it is not demanding. Most fish that live in the sea need very high protein food, but tilapia eat small plants. So you can feed it with local materials such as tapioca and coconut meal."