KENYA – Kenya is taking significant strides to revamp its aquaculture sector in collaboration with the African Union-Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), aiming to address challenges and enhance fish production in the country.
Last year, Kenya witnessed a remarkable improvement in fish production, reaching over 30,000 metric tonnes compared to previous years where annual production was as low as 4,000 metric tonnes.
Betsy Njagi, the Principal Secretary for Blue Economy and Fisheries, highlighted the government’s commitment to further increasing this production by encouraging aquaculture.
The initiatives include providing quality seed (fingerlings) to farmers, establishing centers of excellence, and collaborating with the private sector to address challenges related to quality fish feed.
Aquaculture currently contributes only 2.7% to the country’s fish catch, with an annual supply gap of 50,000 metric tonnes projected to increase to 75,000 by 2030 if per capita fish consumption remains constant.
To overcome these challenges, Kenya is partnering with AU-IBAR to revamp the aquaculture value chain not only within the country but across Africa.
During the 2nd General Congress of Aquaculture Network for Africa (ANAF) in Naivasha, Ms. Njagi, through the Director of Fisheries Ms. Lucy Obungu, emphasized the need to address issues such as poor-quality fish seed and the high cost of fish feed.
She highlighted that the establishment of centers of excellence aims to tackle these challenges and produce high-quality fish fingerlings.
To enhance the aquaculture value chain, the Kenyan government has allocated funds for the Kabonyo Fisheries Aquaculture Service and Training Centre of Excellence in Kisumu County, amounting to Sh. 1 billion.
Additionally, stakeholders in the sector have raised concerns about declining fish catches from capture fishing due to over-exploitation of marine ecosystems.
The AU-IBAR Director, Dr. Huyam Salim, highlighted the potential of aquaculture to provide food security and economic empowerment in Africa.
Dr. David Balikowa from the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat urged urgent attention to emerging challenges in the aquaculture sub-sector, emphasizing its importance not only in food and nutritional security but also in economic empowerment.
Meanwhile, the EAC is actively promoting aquaculture within its Member States to increase production and reduce dependency on international players, ensuring economic benefits stay within the region.
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