New Technology to Boost Kenyan Fish Farming

Through the technology, farmers can rear fish in cages with natural and artificial ecosystems, boosting production in fish ponds. According to the Business Daily, the cages can accommodate between 1,000 and 10,000 fish. The project was piloted in a dam in Nyando District and farmers in Nyakach, Bomet, Kisii and Machakos districts are already using the technology, said Dr Richard Abila, a researcher at the institute.

Farmers who adopted the husbandry in November last year are set to harvest their first yield in two weeks time. “The fish have already attained a weight of 300 to 400 grammes,” said Dr Abila. The fisheries and marine body has also embarked on another pilot project in Lake Victoria.

Dr Abila said the research in natural waters is meant to solve the problem of dwindling fish stocks, adding that rearing fish in new husbandry method requires more caution. The technology can pause environmental hazards to the lake and can also be costly and time consuming as it requires regular testing of water quality.

Fisheries minister Dr Paul Otuoma called on the communities along the lake region to embrace aquaculture as a way of bridging the fish shortage gap and also ensure that they have surplus for export.