Lack of funds threatens to derail fish farming projects

Lack of funding for fish farming is threatening to thwart plans of increasing production and easing pressure from major water bodies like Lake Victoria and Indian Ocean.

Over-fishing in many bodies has led to a drop in stock especially of fishes like tuna which fetches good returns in oversees markets.

The Ministry of Fisheries intends to construct 200 ponds and hand them over to farmers in 140 constituencies under the economic stimulus programme.

“Fish farming has been identified as one area that will reduce not only fishing pressure on our oceans, lakes and rivers, but will also enhance food security, unemployment and wealth creation and healthy living for our people,” said Fisheries minister, Paul Otuoma.

During the 2009/2010 financial year, the government allocated Sh1.12 billion to support fish farming activities.

About Sh600 million had been earmarked for the second phase which was supposed to have started by end of January, but Treasury has not disbursed the money.

Strides made

About 100 ponds are planned to be built in the second phase of the project.

In the first phase, farmers dug ponds awaiting for stocking of fingerlings.

“We are going on well with first phase in which we have done most of the work and we are now embarking on stocking those fish ponds that are complete,” said Dr Otuoma.

He said once funds are paid which is likely to be from the supplementary budget in April, they will start the second phase immediately.

The first phase had been hit by some hitches, which Dr Otuoma says were beyond the ministry’s control.

“We had some problems, in which some fish ponds were not ready on time, as well as delay in maturity of fingerlings. We want fish farmers to get mature seedlings.”

The ministry has also put in place a national oceans and fisheries policy to give the sector legal framework.

The policy puts emphasis on the development of fish farming as one of its core activities.

Fish production from Lake Victoria has declined from 200,000 metric tonnes in 1999 to about 114,000 metric tonnes last year with no signs of recovery.

Fully exploited

The fisheries ministry had carried our aquaculture suitability survey noting that preliminary results indicate that there is potential for farming in the whole country.

Dr Otuoma said the potential area suitable for fish farming is over 1.14 million hectares, adding that if the potential is fully exploit, production could be increased to 11 million metric tonnes per annum and fetch Sh750 billion.

Fish farming could create an industry employing and supporting a substantial number of farmers, feed manufactures, fish processors, traders and other actors.

The current production is only 4,220 metric tonnes with a total area under aquaculture production standing at 722 hectares.

Kenya has a vast network of water bodies that favour farming of a wide variety of fish species of commercial and food value, but has shown minimal growth since the early 1920s when it was started.

Dr Otuoma said  at the coast region Sh4 billion has been set aside for fish farming in the constituencies that border Kenya’s coastline of the Indian Ocean.

“These initiatives are geared towards bringing aquaculture sector production at par with the 50:50 global capture,” he said.