Building on the foundations laid by the Kenya Fish Welfare Project last month - which included farmer training and surveys on fish welfare - FAI, Ethical Seafood Research (ESR), and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) partnered to introduce FAI’s tilapia welfare tools to Kenya’s aquaculture sector.
“This initiative builds on our work with FAI in Egypt, where the adoption of welfare-focused training and digital tools has significantly improved tilapia farming practices,” said Wasseem Emam, founder, director and head of research at ESR. “By applying these learnings in Kenya, we aim to support a more sustainable and welfare-conscious aquaculture sector across East Africa.
“Demand for tilapia in Kenya is very high, but supply is relatively low, so there is a big push to increase production levels. We must ensure that the highest welfare practices – promoted by the Kenya Fish Welfare Project - are at the heart of this drive to increase productivity. Using FAI’s globally recognised tools and expertise allows us to do this.”
The year-long initiative to bring the tilapia welfare tools to Kenya officially kicked off last week at KMFRI’s headquarters in Kisumu, with thirty extension officers from nine counties – including Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Nyamira, Siaya and Vihiga - participating in a practical training workshop.
During sessions on the theoretical aspects of what good welfare looks like and why it matters to farmers, participants refreshed their knowledge of water quality testing tools and were introduced to FAI’s e-learning tilapia welfare training modules on the FAI Academy website. Later, extension officers visited local farms to practice carrying out welfare assessments themselves. During these farm visits, they experienced first-hand how the FAI Tilapia Welfare App can support farm management by improving record-keeping and providing real-time insights into farm and fish performance.
“Last year we surveyed Kenyan fish farmers and found there was not only significant scope for improvement in welfare practices, but also high levels of enthusiasm to change farming methods to enhance tilapia welfare,” continued Wasseem. “By educating a cohort of extension officers, we aim to meet this demand and spread vital welfare knowledge across the nation’s fish farming sector.”
The training workshop was led by ESR country managers, Mohamed Bakr from Egypt and Faisal Qureshi of ESR Kenya, with support from Dr Paul Orina and his team at KMFRI. Mohamed provided expert insights on how Egypt’s thriving aquaculture sector has benefitted from integrating welfare management into everyday farming practices.
“FAI is committed to improving fish welfare globally, and this project in Kenya is an important step in that journey,” said Murilo Quintiliano, COO of FAI. “While the scale of aquaculture in the country is still relatively small, Kenya is one of the fastest growing fish producing nations in Africa, so we’re excited to be supporting welfare work at this early stage.
