Annual Report 2007 - University of Namibia

The sampling of marine fish to examine their gonadal state at various times during the year;The collection of silver kob brood stock for breeding studies;Growth trials with abalone fed three different types of local seaweed;The measurement of kelp frond re-growth;Attempts to isolate a commercially important micro-algae found in local salt pans;The comparison of the performance of new cultivars of oyster mushroom;An examination of the cost-effectiveness of a new type of steam pot used for the sterilizationof mushroom substrate;A comparison of the salinity tolerance of three varieties of barley;The propagation of plant species such as the “old man salt bush”, bana grass and !nara;Monitoring the performance of four cultivars of olive tree exposed to the coastal environment;andThe investigation of the feasibility of fog harvesting along the Namibian coast.5.4.4 Community ServiceIn partnership with Eco Africa, SANUMARC was set up as a node for DLIST- BENGUELA in HentiesBay. DLIST (Distance Learning and Information Sharing Tool) is a website where anyone interestedin coastal Development can meet, talk, exchange information and learn. The DLIST communityfocuses specifically on issues relevant to the coastal zone of the Benguela Current Large MarineEcosystem (BCLME). The Henties Bay community may access DLIST at the Centre’s ResourceCentre.The Centre also partnered with various institutions to host two workshops for the fishing andmariculture community in Namibia. The first was a workshop on fin fish mariculture, and theother was on trends in international fish trade, and “the way forward for the Namibian fishingand aquaculture industry”.SANUMARC continued to support the Henties Bay community mushroom project, helping thenew beneficiaries to get the project functioning. The Centre has also expanded its communityservice activities beyond Henties Bay. Twelve trainees from the National Youth Service in BergAukas (Grootfontein) were trained in the cultivation techniques and business management ofmushroom farming enterprises, and an agreement was reached between the Centre and theNational Youth Services to foster future cooperation in the expansion of mushroom farminginitiatives as a business venture for the NYS.SANUMARC also conducted a mushroom training course in Usakos, where 30 unemployed youthsfrom Usakos, Otjimbingwe and Okambahu were taught farming techniques and basic business49