The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an award-winning family-run fish farming business in Saanapu grinding to a halt.

Thirty-one-year-old Filipo Siaki established his tilapia fish farm in 2016 and used to supply fish to hotels and other businesses including the Franky supermarket chain.

At the height of his company’s success, he won several awards from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (M.A.F.) and generated over $3,000 in income a week.

“I received more than $2,000 in cash plus trophies for the different categories like fish mass, size, the fish pond steady and fitness level, even the taste of the tilapia when we cooked it at my first completion,” Mr Siaki told the Samoa Observer. 

“I also sell them to local businesses like Franky and others but mainly to some hotels, resorts and Lagoons. 

“The price was $10 or less compared to its size but for hotels, we measured the mass and some fish cost $45 each.”

But then the pandemic struck in early 2020, leading to the closure of the international border and the collapse of the local tourism industry, leaving businesses such as Mr Siaki’s fish farm without income.

Currently, the family has eight concrete fish ponds and he has had to use alternative fish food for his stock while keeping an eye on the opening of the international border, and hopefully income generation opportunities. 

“I have eight fish ponds, well constructed with bricks and concrete and I’m feeding my fish with supplementary food in the morning and laupele in the afternoon,” Mr Siaki added.

“With proper fish feed as I learned from M.A.F. It helps the fish to grow faster, more plump and taste better.”

At the times of harvest the businessman shares his tilapia produce with the elders of the villages well as neighbours. 

“When the COVID-19 struck, the income generation dropped and I’m using it as an opportunity to serve the community by selling it with a very low price or giving them for free to use for food. Our elderly and neighbours are always blessed at the time of harvesting,” he added. 

Mr Siaki said his father helped him to build the fish ponds in 2016, initially starting with two ponds before gradually expanding to eight. 

When they opened their fish farm they started off with 150 tilapia fish. Asked where he learnt to build the fish ponds, he said his learning experience came courtesy of workshops he attended and tutorials provided by the M.A.F., which laid the foundations for his family’s fish farming business in 2016.