Fish farmers meet for annual review of aquaculture

Ann Mwangi descaling a fresh Nile Perch. [Lydiah Nyawira, Standard]

Over 700 fish farmers, county government officials from 16 counties, and the fisheries department held a meeting to discuss the progress and challenges facing the sector.

The two-day event, held in Mukurweini Constituency, Nyeri County,last week  is part of the annual Aquaculture Business Development Program (ABDP), jointly funded by the National Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Nyeri Agriculture CEC James Wachihi highlighted that stakeholders gathered to share lessons learned in the aquaculture sector during the program's implementation. “It is an opportunity to bring together farmers, government, and input suppliers to meet and share what we have learned,” he said.

Siaya Agriculture CEC Sylvester Odhiambo, chairperson of the CECs Caucus on Blue Economy representing 47 counties, noted increased investment and production in fish farming, with over 1,500 new fish ponds supported in Siaya County under the ABDP program. "We have seen investment in the entire value chain, including fish feeds, fingerlings, infrastructure for consumption, and marketing produce," Odhiambo said.

Odhiambo emphasized the rapid growth of the Blue Economy sector globally, pointing out that all counties have the potential to engage in aquaculture. During the 2023 annual meeting, stakeholders observed that riparian counties in the Lake Region Economic Bloc had focused on inland fish farming, neglecting Lake fisheries sector investment.

“We agreed to enhance infrastructure development along Lake Victoria, support landing sites, and equip farmer groups with fish cages capable of supporting over 50,000 fingerlings,” Odhiambo said. This has improved natural water stocks and supported fish farmers with fish feeds, certified fingerlings, training, and market support through cold storage facilities.

Odhiambo also noted the sector's role in creating jobs for the youth, emphasizing support for businesses around aquaculture. One farmer, Yahya Mahinda from Gatitu, Nyeri County, shared his experience, stating that most farmers had benefited from fish pond liners and feeds, receiving four sacks of feed each. Mahinda has four ponds with over 800 catfish and tilapia.

ABDP National Program Coordinator Sammy Macaria mentioned that the annual meeting aims to review the program's community benefits and gather feedback from farmers and implementers. He identified the high cost of fish feeds as a significant challenge, with efforts underway to reduce costs using alternative supplements like black soldier fly, Azolla, and locally available materials.

Director General of Kenya Fisheries Services (KeFS) Daniel Mungai stated that farmed fish had increased production to meet shortages previously reliant on captured fisheries from natural water bodies. “Intense fishing has led to a decline in fish stocks in our lakes and rivers,” he said, noting that aquaculture has bridged the deficit, reducing the need for large fish imports.

Mungai also raised concerns about declining water volumes in lakes, dams, and rivers, encouraging the use of water-efficient fish farming systems like aquaponics to maximize available resources.