The Nasarawa State Government has provided fishing communities in the Doma Local Government Area with no fewer than 25,000 fingerlings of the Heterotis fish species to address fish shortages in the area and the state at large.

Speaking at the Doma Dam on Wednesday during the handover of the fingerlings to community leaders, the Director-General of the state’s Human Capital Development Agency, Habiba Suleiman, explained that the initiative was aimed at ensuring that all residents, both in urban and rural areas, benefit from the dividends of democracy.

She stated that complaints of fish shortages from fishermen and women in the area prompted the government to take the proactive step of empowering them with 25,000 Heterotis fish fingerlings.

Noting that this is the first phase of the initiative, paving the way for the supply of other fish species in subsequent phases, Suleiman announced that, to ensure the success of the project, the state government had placed a six-month ban on all fishing activities in the Doma Dam.She commended the efforts of the State’s Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Human Capital Development Agency, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, for his continued support, which has enabled the agency to positively impact the lives of residents across the state.

“We are here to witness the first phase of revitalising the Doma Dam, and as you saw earlier, 25,000 Heterotis fingerlings have been released into the dam.

“This is a low-maintenance fish species whose primary function is to clean up the dam, preparing it for other species to thrive and reproduce.

“The people of the area are happy and have pledged their support. They have agreed to a six-month fishing ban to allow the fish population to grow. In the meantime, the government is considering alternative economic activities, such as trading and farming, to support them.

“There has been a shortage of fish, so boosting the fish population in Doma Dam is of great value to the people.

“This initiative is for their benefit, and we hope to see increased fishing activities that will drive economic growth for the community and Nasarawa State as a whole.”

The Chairman of Doma LGA, Jonathan Addra, represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Ibrahim, thanked the state government for the initiative and urged residents to support the Human Capital Development Agency in achieving its objectives of improving livelihoods.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nasarawa State Fisheries Cooperative, Bashir Umar, said that for over a year, the association had been concerned about the scarcity of fish in the state. He noted that the government’s support would significantly ease the struggles of fishermen and women.

“Our people have been travelling long distances to find fish, but with this commendable initiative by the Human Capital Development Agency, we are confident that, in the coming months, there will be enough fish to meet the needs of the entire state,” he said.

Earlier, the District Head of Ohina Angwan Agatu in the Doma Dam community, Yakubu Igyageyi, who spoke on behalf of other local communities, thanked the Nasarawa State Government for its efforts to boost fishing activities in the area.

However, he appealed for food supplies and other essential items from the government to help ease the challenges faced during the six-month fishing ban.