Fish plant to boost fishing in West Kenya

Last Updated 14 years ago by Kenya Engineer

A fish factory in Kakamega is set to start operation by August this year. The Sh60 million fish factory is expected to boost earnings from fish farming in the region.

The county however has a low fish production causing the processing plant to operate under capacity. The current production by farmers from their pond stands at 1.8 tonnes whereas the plant has the capacity of processing between three and five tonnes of fish daily.

According to a report by Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program, Kenya is endowed with numerous aquatic resources with aquacultural potential. Rural fish farming gained popularity in the 1960s when the Kenyan Government launched the “Eat More Fish” campaign; as a result of this effort, tilapia farming expanded rapidly, with the construction of many small ponds, especially in Kenya’s Central and Western Provinces.

In the mid 1990s, fish farming in Kenya however followed a pattern similar to that observed in many African countries, characterized by small ponds, subsistence-level management, and very low levels of production.

Following the renovation of several government fish rearing facilities, the establishment of research programs to determine best practices for pond culture, and an intensive training program for fisheries extension workers, there is renewed interest in fish farming in Kenya.

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