A new commercial fishpond has been completed in Nawairuku, Ra, for the Sigavou Youth Group, the Ministry of Fisheries says, marking a key step in efforts to boost rural youth empowerment, food security and reliable income generation in the Nalawa area.
Delivered by the Ministry of Fisheries’ Aqua Team in the Western Division, the pond replaces a hazardous and unpredictable livelihood practice for the group: diving for wild tilapia in local rivers. The ministry described river diving as risky and highly weather-dependent, producing inconsistent yields. The new pond provides a controlled environment for culturing tilapia, reducing safety risks and offering a steadier supply for local markets and household consumption.
The Sigavou Youth Group was formed and registered in 2022 and has grown to include more than 20 members. Until now, members earned income through small-scale enterprises along the Waimicia corridor — operating a kava shop and roadside kava bar and selling fresh bananas — while supplementing sales and home diets with wild-caught tilapia. The commercial pond is intended to diversify those income streams and strengthen the group’s existing businesses by providing a reliable source of fish for sale and consumption.
The Ministry of Fisheries said the Aqua Team will continue to support the project with technical assistance. This support package includes stocking the pond with tilapia fingerlings and providing hands-on training for youths in feeding regimes, routine pond management and best-practice aquaculture techniques. The ministry signalled that ongoing extension services and advice will be available to help the group manage water quality, disease prevention and stocking density — factors crucial to maintaining production and profitability.
Local officials framed the initiative as part of a broader push to embed community-based aquaculture as a pathway to sustainable rural livelihoods. By shifting production from wild capture to managed culture systems, the ministry aims to reduce pressure on river ecosystems while creating more predictable economic opportunities for young people in remote areas like Nalawa. The project also aligns with national priorities to expand small-scale aquaculture as a means of improving nutrition and income at village level.
For the Sigavou Youth Group, the pond represents both practical and social benefits: safer work, a more dependable commodity to sell, and the potential to scale operations as members build capacity in husbandry and market linkages. The Ministry of Fisheries’ Aqua Team will monitor progress and offer follow-up training as needed, officials said, with the intention that the Nawairuku site serve as a model for similar youth-led aquaculture projects across Ra and the Western Division.