Business Daily (Nairobi)
Githua Kihara
24 June 2008
Nairobi — The Government has announced a raft of measures to boost aquaculture - the growing of fish outside their natural habitats.
The Fisheries minister, Dr Paul Otuoma, said the Government will increase extension services and set up cold stores while encouraging private-public partnerships in processing and value addition to increase incomes.
Dr Otuoma said aquaculture had suffered from ignorance, high cost of inputs and poor marketing systems. He said the ministry would also explore the potential of the less exploited lakes and dams.
Offshore fisheries
Post harvest losses would be reduced by facilitating the provision of cold chain facilities.
The measures are aimed at promoting aquaculture as an alternative source of fish to ease pressure on the natural water bodies. Nine countries of the South Western Indian Ocean (SWIO) region have embarked on a research to explore the potential for offshore fisheries.
The research will be conducted at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KEMFRI), in Mombasa.
Depletion of stocks
It is estimated that 300,000 tonnes of fish can be netted annually from the country's Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), earning Sh30 billion.Extensive fishing using unsustainable means has led to depletion of stocks in the country's lakes while lack of fishing boats that can venture into deep waters has restricted fishing to shallow coastal waters.
Fishing is a major source of livelihood for communities living around the lakes and the coastal region of Kenya.
Over 800,000 people depend on fisheries both directly and indirectly.
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