Fish farming in Kenya with particular reference to the Lake Victoria basin

The total aquaculture production in Kenya in 1992 stood at 1,017 metric tons worth Kenyan shillings (Kshs.) 48,911,000 (about US dollars one million). Of the total production, the trouts from the commercial aquaculture sector constituted 268 metric tons, the common carps, 282 metric tons and the tilapia, 67 metric tons. The per capita fish consumption in the country is below the recommended value of 9.3 kg per ind. per year. Its expected improvement is further worsened by the recent significant decline of fish catches from the major source, Lake Victoria (Kenya waters) of about 55,000 metric tons, and by the recent upward surge of the fish export trade, both of which have made fish a scarce and expensive commodity for the common man in the rural areas. Fish exports stand at 11,762 mt worth Kshs. 596,175,000. The fish exports are not as a result of surplus production (as the country also imports fish), but rather due to the lucrative fish trade in the foreign market. The current fish yields from aquaculture have stagnated at about 1,000 mt per year. The average number of fish ponds per farmer is 1.5 more or less 0.9. The mean size of the fish ponds is 281.1 more or less 510.6 square metre, while the mean depth is 0.78 more or less 0.25 m, too shallow, thus limiting the yield. The mean yields per hectare are low at 1,130 kg per ha and range from as low as 49.1 kg to 5,017.4 kg per ha per growing season of 6-8 months. Our findings further indicate that a number of other factors are responsible for the low yields. These include understocking, poor choices of fish species for culture in the different agro-ecological zones, poor pond design, non-provision of water regulation structures in the ponds such as monks, inlets, outlets and overflow pipes, poor knowledge on the application of organic and inorganic fertilizers and fish feed materials, poor extension services, lack of fishing gear and little financial support to the farmers. The development and adoption of a low external input aquaculture technology using farming systems research (FSR) is suggested