Egerton University has established a modern aquaculture facility to scale up climate-smart technologies, innovations and management practices aimed at enhancing fish production in Nakuru County, Kenya News Agency reported.
The university is utilizing the facility to train farmers, investors, teachers, extension officers, agro-vets, and other stakeholders on running sustainable and profitable aquaculture businesses. The project also seeks to increase the availability of affordable fish feeds and fingerlings.
One of the major challenges facing fish farmers across the country is the inadequate supply of quality fish feed. To address this, the Agro-Science Park Fish Farm has been collaborating with various research agencies to develop insect-based, protein-rich feeds for fish farms.
“Recognized for its sustainability and affordability, Black Soldier Fly-based feed is revolutionizing fish nutrition by providing an eco-friendly alternative to conventional fishmeal,” said Professor Kimurto, Head of Egerton University’s Seed Unit and Team Leader of the Seeds of Gold Communication Platform.
The Agro-Science Park Fish Farm is also promoting fish quality sanitary standards and programs, establishing itself as a hub for research, innovation, and sustainable aquaculture.
“With state-of-the-art fish ponds, this facility serves as a center for advanced studies in fish farming, addressing food security and economic empowerment,” explained the Director.
Farmer training at the Agro-Science Park Fish Farm
Regarding the training offered at the facility, Professor Kimurto emphasized that farmers are first taught how to select the right fish species. This decision, he noted, should be based on market demand and the type of fish pond a farmer intends to establish.
Overstocking is discouraged, as it leads to stunted growth, resulting in many but smaller fish at harvest. Farmers are trained on optimal stocking rates, which depend on the fish species and the weight at stocking. For example, experts recommend stocking Tilapia at two fingerlings per square meter for optimal growth.
Additionally, farmers learn how to enhance pond fertility to support the growth of natural pond organisms, which serve as fish feed. This is achieved by applying agricultural lime and organic manure, which can be sourced from rabbits, poultry, goats, sheep, cattle, or donkeys, the Director added.
The university is also training farmers on integrating fish farming with other farm enterprises to utilize by-products and waste as fish feed, thereby enhancing sustainability.
Aquaculture in Kenya: Current status and growth trends
Kenya's total fish production stands at 167,000 tons, sourced from both aquaculture and capture fisheries. Official records from the fisheries sector indicate that per capita fish consumption in Kenya is 4.7 kilograms per person per year, significantly lower than the East African Community and African continent averages of 7 kg and 10 kg per person per year, respectively.
According to statistics from the fisheries sector, aquaculture production in Kenya reached 31,767 metric tons (MT) valued at Ksh 10 billion in the latest assessment, compared to 27,939 MT valued at Ksh 9.7 billion in 2022.
This growth was primarily driven by the expansion of cage culture enterprises in Lake Victoria. However, land-based aquaculture production has remained stagnant, largely due to low pond stocking rates and a significant number of inactive ponds, according to experts.
