Rank correlation was used to examine the effects of income on selection of sources of fish and meat. For examination of patterns related to household consumption, data were not separated by gender as the responses to those questions were given for the household, rather than individuals. The focus group discussion elucidated that the participants were aware that tilapia are widely spread in ponds and lakes throughout the country although the distribution has not been mapped

and the study relied on anecdotal reports for many places. Although tilapia is not ubiquitously present in the few rivers that have been surveyed [46], it is also important to note that the freshwater fauna of many Solomon Islands’ freshwater systems remains poorly documented. Tilapia RGFP966 CCI-779 purchase farmers in the group described how in the late 1990s early 2000s they had started trial backyard ponds for tilapia through personal interest. Some had also attended fish farming workshops held by local

NGO, the Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT). The farmers had made from three to nine ponds on their own land, in or near Honiara, of varying sizes and constructed of various materials (earth, concrete) and had mixed success using different home-made foods. One of the farmers had originally brought Mozambique tilapia across from Malaita to Guadalcanal to stock his pond and subsequently

had caught additional fish from within Lungga River and nearby ponds, near Honiara, for re-stocking. selleck No-one reported having a harvesting regime for selling fish. Backyard ponds were identified as a good source of fish for poorer households in Honiara, who were only eating salt-fish (salt preserved tuna discards from the commercial purse seiners) and for schools where food supply is a challenge. Challenges that were identified for land based farming were unreliable water supplies, lack of equipment, lack of knowledge and no commercially available feed. Perceptions of the focus group were that there is a demand for farmed fish in some parts of Solomon Islands, especially the peri-urban areas of Auki and Honiara. Farmer participants felt that individual backyard ponds are good; while Mozambique tilapia may not be the best species for aquaculture, it was believed to be the only fish species currently easily available for aquaculture. Government participants noted that the MFMR Tilapia Plan [31] considers introducing a strain of Nile tilapia, while scientists in the audience noted that introduction of any new species requires caution as the current fresh water fauna of Solomon Islands is poorly known.