KENYA – Fishermen in Kenya’s Western Region are set to gain from an ongoing initiative aimed at boosting fish populations through the identification and marking of fish breeding sites.
This project seeks to address the decline in fish stocks at Lake Victoria by designating specific areas for breeding.
The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) is leading efforts to mark these breeding areas, including sheltered bays and river mouths, which are expected to support an increase in fish populations in Lake Victoria.
The National Lake Victoria Beach Management Unit (BMU) chairman, Tom Guda, said the initiative will have a lasting impact on the lake’s aquatic life, helping to reverse the declining fish population.
According to Tom Mboya, a fisherman in Dunga, several fish species, including lungfish, catfish, and haplochromines, have been disappearing from the lake over the years.
He hopes this initiative will help revive these species.
Currently, the government has identified 13 locations along the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria to support fish breeding and the development of juvenile fish.
These include seven rivers and six bays, such as the River Sio Mouth, River Nzoia Mouth, Kodimo Bay, Asembo Bay, River Kisat, Nyakach Bay, River Awach Mouth, River Oloch Mouth, River Samunyi, Mirunda Bay, Ngothe Bay, Nyango Bay, and River Kuja Mouth.
Fish typically breed in sheltered areas, such as river mouths and bays, where the conditions are suitable for their development.
The project is part of a broader effort to improve Kenya’s fishing industry, which in 2022 produced approximately 173.6 thousand metric tons of fish.
Freshwater fish accounted for the majority of this, with 141.4 thousand metric tons coming from inland sources, while marine fisheries produced 32 thousand metric tons.
Inland capture fisheries made up 71% of Kenya’s total fish production.
Despite this, in 2020, Kenya imported nearly 20,000 metric tons of fish and fish products, valued at Kshs 2.25 billion (US$17.4M), to meet the country’s growing demand.
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