By Alabama Public Radio
Auburn, AL – Auburn University has been awarded a $2.5 million federal grant to boost commercial fish farming in Uganda. The 40-month project will be funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. A team from Auburn's Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures will travel to the African nation. The team of faculty members will establish model cage- and pond-based fish farms that are based on high-quality fish feeds. They'll also work to develop the best management practices for viable commercial production of fish, primarily tilapia and the Clarias catfish. Auburn fisheries research associate Karen Veverica has moved to Uganda and will oversee the project there. She has 25 years' experience in aquaculture. 15 of those years were spent full time in Africa. She'll also be supported by two Ugandan fisheries experts, staff from the Ugandan Fisheries Resources Research Institute and faculty from a Ugandan university.