A review on the potential of aquaculture development in Kenya for poverty alleviation and food security

On the global scene, aquaculture accounts for about 50% of total fish production amounting to about 80 million metric tonnes. It is estimated that another 40 million metric tonnes of aquatic food will be required by the year 2030. Today, fish farming represents the fastest growing sector of food production. Moreover, aquaculture has a major role to play in the achievement of the first three Sustainable Development Goals on poverty, hunger, food security and healthy lives of people from developing countries. This is significant especially in the developing countries where poverty and malnutrition are a reality. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, per capita fish production from aquaculture is still below world production levels. In Kenya, inland capture fisheries accounted for over 90% of the total national fish production while marine capture fisheries contributed about 5% in the last decade. Kenya has one of the fastest growing human populations in the world indicating that the demand for fish and fish products will continue to rise, increasing the gap between supply and demand. Currently, aquaculture only produces about 24,000 metric tonnes of fish annually compared to an annual average of 178,000 metric tonnes from natural fisheries. The dominant cultured species include: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykis) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Culture systems commonly used are static ponds and raceway systems. In addition, the country is endowed with numerous aquaculture resources ranging from favorable climatic conditions to vast water resources. In the year 2009, the Kenyan government took steps to enhance aquaculture production through an Economic Stimulus Programme. This has increased the contribution of aquaculture in Kenya to 11.0% of the total fish production. This paper discusses the growth and development of aquaculture in Kenya during the last 50 years and the impact of government support to the sub-sector. The paper also proposes strategies for ensuring that Kenya becomes one of the leading producers of fish from aquaculture in Africa.Key words: Fish production, capture fisheries, culture systems, Economic Stimulus Programme, aquacultur

Can Integrated Livestock-Fish Culture be a Solution to East Afircan's Food Insecurity? A Review

Integrated livestock-fish culture approach envisages the integration of fish farming with cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, pigs or rabbit husbandry in a design allowing wastes from one system to be used as inputs in another system. The aim is to conserve resources while increasing farm returns. This paper reviews integrated livestock-fish culture in Asia and some African countries towards stimulating growth in East Africa’s livestock-fish integration practices. Livelihood challenges and current status of integrated livestock-fish culture in some segments of East Africa are discussed. Economic analyses of integrated livestock-fish farming in selected places are presented. Challenges facing integrated livestock-fish aquaculture in the region include: government neglect of aquaculture sector, weak aquaculture research and applications, political interferences as well as social and religious challenges. Poor publicity, poor infrastructure, lack of clear legislations and policies and high illiteracy among potential fish farmers have also been mentioned as bottlenecks to the growth of integrated fish farming in the region. So far, fish-poultry integration is the most popular across Africa and Asia while fish-cattle integration is unpopular in many countries. Livestock manure as source of organic fertilizer for fish ponds and biogas production can help reduce cost of investment in purchasing inorganic fertilizers. With the present high cost of pelleted fish feeds, integrated fish farming stands to reduce the cost of feeding fish while simultaneously increasing the yield, leading to high economic returns. This paper concludes that livestock-fish integration is one of the most practicable solutions to food insecurity and malnutrition in the East African community despite its current poor status. In fact, it could be the forgotten asset that can guarantee present and future aquaculture sustainability in the region. The paper recommends capacity building among stakeholders to recognise integrated aquaculture as a ‘self feeding’ biotechnology unit, which deserves special attention in East Africa.Key words: livestock-fish culture, integration, East Afric

Cost-Benefit Analysis and Growth Effects of Pelleted and Unpelleted On-Farm Feed on African Catfish (Claries Gariepinus Burchell 1822) in Earthen Ponds

Fish feed constitutes 40-60% of the total operational costs of a fish farm. Commercial feeds are often too expensive for rural fish farmers. Consequently, farmers use non-conventional and locally available fish feed ingredients including agro-industrial by-products. These feeds have not led to increased pond productivity due to poor processing, higher fibre content, and anti-nutritional factors that limit nutrient bio-availability. Farmers have not embraced processing of fish feeds because the cost-effectiveness of processing has not been clearly demonstrated. The African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is an important farmed fish in sub-Saharan Africa hence the need for research on its nutrition and growth performance. The growth performance and cost-benefit of using pelleted diets formulated from locally available feed ingredients on C. gariepinus were evaluated in a rural African setting. The experiment included diets that differed in the ingredients and form used (pelleted and un-pelleted). Four isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated from freshwater shrimp (Caridina nilotica), rice bran (Oryza sativa) and wheat bran (Triticum aestivum). The diets were C. nilotica and wheat bran pelleted (CWBp), C. nilotica and wheat bran un-pelleted (CWBup), C. nilotica and rice bran pelleted (CRBp), and C. nilotica and rice bran un-pelleted (CRBup). The diets were fed to C. gariepinus fingerlings (mean initial weight 1.75±0.03g), in triplicates for 5 months. The pelleted diets showed significantly better performance (P<0.05) compared to the un-pelleted diets. Fish grew to a weight of 266.77±6.21g on CWBp, 224.9±3.91g on CRBp, 211.38±4.46g on CWBup and 190.87±4.47g on CRBup. Cost benefit analysis of the pelleted and un-pelleted diets indicated positive net returns of US$180.1 for CWBp, US$142.5 for CRBp, US$126.8 for CWBup and US$ 115.5 for CRBup. The CWBp had significantly higher net returns than the other diets. This paper demonstrates that although on-farm pelleting of diets adds extra cost of labour, pelleted diets are cost-effective and should be incorporated as an essential part of on-farm feed production.Key words: Catfish, feed, pelleting, cost-effectiveness, pon

Developing Smallholder Aquaculture in Kenya into Viable Enterprises: A case study of Nyaguta fish ponds in Kisii, Kenya

Smallholder fish farming contribute to improved nutrition, incomes and livelihoods of rural communities. Despite the potential, aquaculture in most rural areas is based on extensive production systems characterized by low availability in inputs. In Nyaguta, farmers are involved in agricultural production activities, including fish farming. However, most farmers do not keep records of resources used in their ponds (inputs, and labour) and outputs. This makes it impossible to assess the profitability of the enterprises. A study was carried out with the objectives: To characterize the inputs used by the farmers and determine the rearing parameters, to describe the fish farmers' practices and assess the fish farming cycle and to determine profitability. Monosex tilapia was stocked in 300m2 ponds at 3 fish/m2 and fed on pellet feed at 5% body weight. Semi-quantitative and qualitative data was collected from nine ponds over the production cycle (February 2010 to June 2011). An enterprise budget was used to compare profitability. Sale of harvested fish, gave the revenue or total income (TI) from each pond. Variable costs (inputs, labour and other operational inputs) were calculated. Family labour costs, were calculated separately to differentiate from casual labour. Total income (TI) less total variable costs (TVC) gave net income (NI) for each pond. From such a snapshot analysis of costs and returns, farmers would tell if their ventures were profitable or not. It also offered them an opportunity to determine areas to cut down or upscale during the production cycle to maximize on profits. It is only after profit realization, that farmers can be motivated to continue investing in fish farming and related activities

A review of aquaculture production and health management practices of farmed fish in Kenya

Warm water aquaculture is widely practiced in Kenya and is dominated by the culture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (75% of total production) followed by African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) at 18%. Aquaculture started in Kenya in 1920's and has been on upward trend until 2014 when it peaked at 24,096 MT. However, production reduced drastically in the past 3 years, with 14,952 metric tonnes (MT) reported in 2016. Most farmers practice earthen pond based semi-intensive culture system. Commercial intensive culture of Nile tilapia (O. niloticus) in cages in Lake Victoria has grown significantly in the last five years with a production of 12 million kg of fish every cycle (about 8 months). Recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) is also gaining popularity mainly in intensive hatcheries. The freshwater cages have been marred by increasing frequencies of fish kills with obvious financial and environmental implications. Although limited information exists on fish disease outbreaks across the country, certain well known diseases in farmed fish have been reported. These include; fungal, mainly saprolegniasis, bacterial, mainly hemorrhagic disease and pop-eye diseases. Parasites have also been documented in farmed O. niloticus and C. gariepinus. Although prophylactic treatments are used in some hatcheries in order to prevent infections, limited biosecurity measures are in place to prevent diseases in farmed fish. This is because of inadequate knowledge of the economics of fish diseases, poor infrastructure and inadequate human resource specialized in fish diseases. This review describes the aquaculture production and health mangement practices of farmed fish in Kenya in order to document actions required for effective monitoring and regulation of future fish health problems across the country

Problems and Prospects in Developing Aquaculture for Livelihood Enhancement in Gucha, Meru and Taiata Taveta in the Republic of Kenya

Problems and prospects in Developing Aquaculture for Livelihood enhancement in Gucha, Meru and Taiata Taveta in the Republic of Kenya Ernest Yongo. Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kisumu P.O. Box 1881 40100 Kisumu All correspondences to [email protected] Abstract There is considerable variability in aquaculture production within the study areas of Gucha, Meru and Taita/Taveta regions. Aquaculture activities involves the production of Nile tilapia and African catfish using earthen ponds. Most ponds are individually owned (93.8%). Most of the ponds were constructed and stoked between January 2007 and July 2011, which reflects the change in strategy by the government for promoting aquaculture. Ponds size are more or less same sizes of about 300m2 Most farmers culture Nile tilapia (99%). The stocking density is about 3 fish per m2 for both Nile tilapia and Clarias, but for the Gold fish the density is about 10/m2, mostly cultured in the Meru study region. Dominion farm was the main source of seed (13.2%). Small scale hatcheries run by individual farmers supplied 116% while 40.5% was supplied by the Fisheries Department and 30.3% got their seeds from Sagana Aquaculture Centre. Unga feed/Sigma is the source of feeds (93.4%), while 6.6% farmers made their own feeds. The profits ranged from 25 -75% over total costs

Effect of C/N ratio levels and stocking density of Labeo victorianuson pond environmental quality using maizeflour as a carbon source

The main obstacle in developing intensive fish culture is waste management which is detrimental to the environment. To mitigate environmental impacts associated with effluent discharge, measures should be put in place to avoid deterioration of the pond environment. The addition of carbon materials into culture facilities while manipulating the levels of carbon and nitrogen ratios is one of the best strategies of controlling ammonia and nitrite in ponds. This study was carried out in 18 hapas suspended in six, 150 m 2 earthen ponds to investigate the effects of C/N ratios (10 and 20) and stocking density (10, 15 and 25 fish m ) on water quality, sediment quality and growth of Labeo victorianus. All treatments were carried out in triplicate during a time period of 72 days. A locally formulated and prepared feed containing 30% crude protein with a C/N ratio of 10 was applied. Maize flour was used as the carbohydrate source for manipulating C/N ratio and applied to the water column separately from the feed. Increasing C/N ratio from 10 to 20 reduced (P b 0.001) the total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite-nitrogen (NO 2 -N) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO 3 -N) in the water column and total nitrogen in the sediment (P b 0.001). It also raised sediment pH, organic matter and total phosphorus (P b 0.001). The lowest protein efficiency ratio (PER), specific growth rate (SGR) and the highest food conversion ratio for the feed were recorded with a C/N ratio of 10 (P b 0.05). Based on highest growth, survival, production and net benefits, C/N ratio of 20 and a stocking density of 25 fish m −2 are optimal. Therefore, carbohydrate addition in L. victorianus culture is a promising option for sustainable aquaculture

Prospects of fish supply-demand and its implications for food and nutrition security in Egypt

Aquaculture plays an increasingly important role in meeting the rising global demand for fish fuelled by economic and demographic growth. However, in many middle-income countries, aquaculture is constrained by rising labour costs, limited input supply, environmental concerns, and infectious diseases. In this paper, we developed a multi-species, multi-sector equilibrium model and applied it to the fishery sector of Egypt, a leading aquaculture producer in Africa, to examine these barriers. Projection results show that rising wage rates would slow down the growth of labour-intensive aquaculture compared to those that use relatively less labour. The demand for feed, seed inputs and water use for aquaculture would substantially increase. The results also show that disease outbreaks would possibly affect production sectors via output reduction and also consumers via increases in fish price. Our findings suggest that stabilising the prices of feed and seed, investments in disease control and input-use efficiency improvement technologies, including water use, are important while the overall effectiveness of tax instruments is modest. Though calibrated to Egypt, our approach can be applied to other middle-size national aquaculture industries

NUTRITIVE VALUE AND AVAILABILITY OF COMMONLY USED FEED INGREDIENTS FOR FARMED NILE TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS L.) AND AFRICAN CATFISH (CLARIAS GARIEPINUS, BURCHELL) IN KENYA, RWANDA AND TANZANIA

ABSTRACT Commonly utilized feed ingredients for culture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda were collected over a period of six months (January -June 2010) and evaluated for their nutritive composition through proximate analysis. Most of the fish feed ingredients were found in all the three countries except a few that were unique to one or two countries as detailed in the results. Feed ingredients of animal origin exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher crude protein levels (407 -635 g/kg DM) compared to the feed ingredients of plant based origin. Freshwater shrimps (Caridina nilotica) contained the highest crude protein levels of 635 g/kg DM. Feed ingredients of animal origin had low ether extracts (EE) with an exception of Omena fish (Rastrineobola argentea). Crude fibre (CF) was generally higher on feed ingredients of plant origin and ranged between 55-368 g/kg DM while Nitrogen Free Extracts (NfE) and ash content were higher in the feedstuffs of plant origin with an exception of maize bran which had the lowest value. Omena fish and freshwater shrimp had higher ash content of 182 and 228g/kg DM compared to other feed ingredients of animal origin, which may indicate contamination with soil particles during drying process. Based on the feed ingredient availability, potential competition with other human uses, content of crude protein and crude fibre and the feasibility of removal of anti-nutritional factors, C. nilotica, blood meal, meat and bone meal, were identified as most promising sources of animal based protein. Cotton (Gossypium spp) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed cakes provided the best option as source of processed plant based protein. Leaves of gallant soldier (Galisonga parviflora), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatus), cassava (Manihot esculenta) and papaya (Papaya carica) were identified as high potential feedstuffs of plant origin either processed or in raw form for small-scale fish farming. We recommend that in well fertilized semiintensive ponds, maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rice (Oryza sativa) bran may be utilized where available to supplement natural pond food