Fish is an important part of the nutrition of Malawians, providing essential
protein and micronutrients. However, due to declining catches from
the lakes and a doubling of the population since the 1970s, per capita
annual fish consumption decreased from 14 kg in the 1970s to 4.2 kg in
2005, with a corresponding increase in fish prices. This has further worsened
food insecurity, especially of the rural population in a country (Fig.
7.1) where an estimated 66% of the population does not consume the
minimum daily energy requirement (Jamu and Chimatiro, 2004).
The Fisheries Department of Malawi designated aquaculture to play a
complementary role to the capture fisheries sub-sector (ICLARM and
GTZ, 1991). Aquaculture increases fish supply and therefore releases the
pressure on capture fisheries. Various projects focusing on introducing
small-scale fish farming to rural farmers were implemented from the
1970s to the mid-1990s by the United Nations Development Programme,
the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (OXFAM), the United Nations
Children’s Fund, Landell Mills Associates/European Economic
Community, Official Development Aid and the German Agency for
Technical Cooperation (GTZ) (ICLARM and GTZ, 1991). In essence, these
initiatives upgraded the national extension and research infrastructure,
conducted capacity-building activities of Fisheries Department staff, and
implemented farmer training and technology support activities. However,
the extended technology ‘packages’ required considerable investments
on the side of the farmer, which they could not afford without
project support (Banda, 1987; Brummett and Noble, 1995a,b).