Transcript
The tilapia is a small bony oily fish found in fresh water in the Solomon Islands.
It is a popular and key protein source for rural communities and villages located both near and far away from the ocean.
But with climate change and depleting fish stocks, there is a need to ensure fish stocks remain healthy and in abundance.
When a researcher from Waikato's Institute of Technology visited the Solomons, she realised that they could help tilapia fish farmers improve their aquaculture practises by developing an app for use offline.
Wintec's international development manager Nick Borthwick explains.
"Our mission really is around building stronger communities with education and research. And so one of our researchers, Dr Debbie Care, she travelled to the Solomons and she saw this need there, and she realised that by using ICT or using information technology and using this app should help to really build a knowledge gap to help communities who really need help with enhancing this fishing."
Mr Borthwick says that it makes finding out information much faster.
"To help them to know the right ways in which to grow the fish, the right ways in which to feed them. For instance one of the key things is to have the right level of algae for the fish to feed on. How green is the pond? How green should the pond be? And so there are these little tidbits of information they don't previously get access to, they now can from the app."
The Solomon Islands Association of Rural Training Centres plans to use the app for training of school leavers struggling to find employment.
The Centre's director Billy Mae says he's grateful for New Zealand's interest and the tech innovation.
He describes it as a game changer.
"I am from Malaita, one of the bigger provinces in the country and I learned from some of our coastal shorelines that there is no fish. Secondly it creates an opportunity for the people living inland to be able to access knowledge so that they will be able to have fish farming over there and be able to sustain their livelihoods."
Mr Mae works closely with tilapia farmers in a number of training centres nationwide, particularly in parts of the country outside of the main island, such as Malaita where these fish get farmed in inland ponds.
He says there's huge economic opportunities for locals to make a good livelihood.
"I was told by a family who has two very big fish farms. And they said at times they sell a fillet of fish for $10 and if they sell about 10 fish, they bbq them and they put them out at the roadside, people on the roadside can buy them, and that is very cheap for $10. If you sell it bbq with rice on a takeaway plate he is making $100 a day. And in that rural setting if he does that for six days that is like about $600 and that's a lot of dollars in a rural setting."
Local aquaculture expert Cletus Pita says he has been tasked to provide in-country support for this project and most locals use mobile phones.
"The use of mobile phones in rural areas is very widespread and people have a good knowledge of using those phones and I think using that knowledge, they should be able to adapt."
He says he can see huge potential in improving the industry tenfold and will ensure there's enough supply and quality fish for communities.
