Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Kenya Fish Farming

                                                    Farmers harvesting fish from a pond. 


Some Sh6 billion has been spent on fish farming countrywide in the past three years, the Permanent Secretary in the Fisheries Ministry, Mr Micheni Ntiba, has said.

Through an aquaculture programme, many farmers have been educated on fish farming techniques and are doing well, he said.

The programme, which has created employment, particularly in the rural areas, has seen the construction of 48,000 fish ponds across the country.

Professor Ntiba said that due to proper monitoring of the programme and involvement of growers, fish production had gone up from 4,000 tonnes in 2007 to 20,000 tonnes last year.

“Fish farming is growing rapidly. With time, we shall start produce enough fish for local consumption and even have a surplus for export,” he said on Tuesday at Sagana National Aquaculture Centre in Kirinyaga County.

The PS said the programme had reduced pressure on oceans and lakes, which served as the major sources of fish.

“We have now developed the Kenya National Ocean and Fisheries Policy where the government has developed fish farming as one of its core activities to reduce pressure on our traditional fish habitats — oceans, lakes and rivers,” he said.

He added that fish farming had also enhanced food security. He said the programme had created a demand of over 50 million certified tilapia and cat fish fingerlings and 30,000 tonnes of specified and formulated fish feeds.

Due to high demand, he said, an acute shortage of fingerlings had hit the country.

He was quick to add that the government and the private sector were resolving the problem.

The PS said the private sector was expected to be a prime mover in the provision of fish seeds and feeds, adding that the government would only be carrying out a regulatory function.

Accompanied by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute managing director, Dr Johnson Kazungu, the PS said his Ministry was constructing mini cooling and processing units in strategic places to process and add value to fish.

At the moment, four cooling plants have been established in upper eastern, western Kenya, Nyanza and coast provinces.

The PS spoke as he officially opened a Sh23 million project dubbed Association for Strengthening Agriculture Research in East and Central Africa (Asareca), which is being funded by the World Bank.

The project is expected to come up with improved aquaculture technologies.

By George Munene@Daily Nation: Kenya



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