By Eseoghene Emuke
Over 3,000 ponds have been washed away at Royal Fish Farm in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State following recent ravaging flood which stormed the area.
Fish farmers who are now counting their losses estimated their losses to worth over N15 million.
The farm is one of the biggest fish farms in the Niger Delta region housing over 10,000 chains of ponds owned by different individuals
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The President General of Uvwie Kingdom, Chief Austin Ukuwrere, while addressing newsmen on the unfortunate incident, lamented that over three thousand ponds were carried away by the flood.
Chief Ukuwere explained that most farmers in the area took loans from banks and cooperatives to establish the business.
While lamenting the lost, Ukuwere explained that the waters overflowed the ponds and thousands of fishes stocked by farmers escaped.
He revealed that most of the farmers are now indebted, as they took huge loans to raise the fishes, with hopes to pay back upon harvest.
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The fish farm which has different pond clusters grows different size of fishes, drawing buyers from far and near.
On their parts, the Royal fish farmers blamed the flood on the lack of drainage systems in the area.
Conducting newsmen around the farm, the fish farmers lamented that they are constrained to reconstruct the damaged ponds, as well as restock the ponds.
They urged the state government to help clear the water channel, construct drainage in the area to help avert future flooding, as well as fix the road leading to the farm.
The flood incident, the farmers posited, has caused a setback in the efforts of the state government to encourage fish farming as a major boost to the agricultural sector.
