Data Hub

Siaya tops uptake of high yielding cage fishing

pic

Siaya tops in the uptake of the recently introduced cage fishing technology in Lake Victoria, a new survey showed, boosting the volume of fish landed in the county.

A survey by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute (Kemfri) in the five riparian counties of Migori, Siaya, Kisumu, Busia and Homa Bay showed that the number of fishing cages in the country’s largest fresh water lake had jumped to about 3,696 by last year from 1,663 in 2016 — a 122 percent increase, with more such facilities being added by investors this year.

Siaya had 2,989 fishing cages by last year, from 383 previously- a 680 percent jump. This means Siaya now accounts for about 81 percent of all fishing cages in Lake Victoria.

It is trailed distantly by Homa Bay with 479 fishing cages, Migori (23), Busia (120) and Kisumu (85).

“Cage culture in Lake Victoria has largely boosted production of farmed fish in the country,” Kemfri said in an update, noting that the technology has increased production to 3.18 million tonnes valued at about $9.6 million (Sh960 million).

“The sub-sector’s value chain, its supportive value chains and associated enterprises are rapidly expanding thus creating jobs, enhancing incomes and ensuring food security in rural and urban areas,” it further said.

This fishing method also known as “offshore technology” involves the placement of fish cages in lakes, bayous, ponds, rivers or oceans to contain and protect fish until they can be harvested. Fish are stocked in cages, artificially fed, and harvested when they reach market size.

“This culture system has various advantages including free exchange of water and removal of wastes from the cages, high productivity, ease of harvesting, monitoring and the fact that it uses the existing water resources such as lakes, reservoirs, dams, ponds and Oceans” Kemfri says.

Fisheries experts recommend that cages should be located at a depth of 10 metres and above, and away from areas that can obstruct other users. It should be at a distance of not less than 300 metres from the shore.

Investors on the Kenyan portion of Lake Victoria are currently using floating cages.

The adoption of this method has mainly been driven by fishermen and investors spooked by declining stocks in the lake over the years.

Despite past efforts by the government to ensure optimal exploitation of fishery products, the fisheries sub-sector continued to register a decline in performance.

According to the Economic Survey 2018, the total quantity of fish landed in Kenya declined from 147,700 tonnes in 2016 to 135,100 tonnes in 2017. Fish from fresh water sources dropped from 123,500 tonnes in 2016 to 111,800 tonnes in 2017, mainly attributed to decline in catches from Lake Victoria,

Stocks from Lake Victoria accounted for 68.5 percent of the total fish landed in 2017.

“However, the lake’s annual output dropped from 98,700 tonnes in 2016 to 92,700 tonnes in 2017. The encroachment of water hyacinth, coupled with destructive fishing practices and dwindling stocks of Nile perch species in the lake are some of the reasons for the declining catch,” the Economic Survey 2018 said.

Kemfri said Nile perch biomass has been dropping steadily since 2014. The biomass declined by about 31 per cent from 58,374 tonnes in 2015 to 40,173 tonnes in 2016.

“Nyanza Gulf registered the highest decline (50 percent). Similarly, dagaa and haplochromines/others biomass declined by 40 percent and 72 percent respectively. The freshwater prawn (Caridina nilotica) on the contrary exhibited an explosion of biomass, registering over 12-fold increase,” it said.

Over the last five years, harvests from fresh water sources accounted for over 80 percent of the total fish landed. Fish from marine sources contributed a relatively smaller share mainly due to inadequate facilities and technology necessary for fishing in deep waters.

The overall catch from fish farming in the country reduced from 15,000 tonnes in 2016 to 12,400 tonnes in 2017, according to the Economic Survey 2018. The decline was partly attributed to failure by farmers to re-stock fish ponds in 2017, citing high prices of inputs and drying up of ponds due to drought during the year under review.

Total output from marine sources recorded a decline of 3.7 percent from 24,200 tonnes in 2016 to 23,300 tonnes with marine fish accounting for 88.5 percent. Crustaceans and molluscs contributed only 3 and 8.5 per cent of marine sources, respectively, in 2017.