18 | NEWSFOCUS November 20, 2018 www.mygov.go.ke Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation World fisheries day November 21 2018 REPUBLIC OF KENYA Theme: Sustainable fisheries for food and nutrition security Celebrations at Lake Naivasha, Nakuru County Message from Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri, EGH, MGH Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation able blue economy in November this year from 26-28, in Nairobi. The theme of the conference is “sustainable realization of the untapped potential in our shores and oceans, seas, lakes and rivers”. The conference will also put us in a better place in our bid to host the 2020 UN Ocean conference which Kenya and Portugal will be hosting in Lisbon, Portugal. I, therefore, take this opportunity to invite you to participate in the sustainable blue economy conference to be held in Nairobi. Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri, EGH, MGH Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation I warmly welcome all of you to celebrate this year’s World Fisheries Day in Nakuru County, and particularly, Lake Naivasha. The World Fisheries Day is celebrated on 21st November every year around the world. This day highlights the importance of the sector, fisheries challenges and efforts towards addressing them. According to a United Nations report, fisheries support the livelihood and food security of close to 200 million people, particularly in the developing world. In addition, one in every five people on this planet depends on fish as the primary source of protein. In Kenya, the fisheries sub-sector plays an important role in the socio-economic development and supports over 2 million people directly and indirectly. Kenya’s annual fish production is approximately 150,000 MT valued at about Sh. 21 billion at the farm gate price and another Sh. 2.1billion in foreign exchange earnings (Economic Survey, 2017). This is derived from freshwater (81%), aquaculture (12%), and marine waters (7%).Lake Naivasha fishery alone contributes about 500MT of fish ,annually, supports about 10 000 people directly and indirectly. This year’s celebrations come at a time when Kenya is preparing to host the first global conference on sustainThe fisheries sub- sector is currently facing many challenges that include: negative impacts of climate change, lack of harmonized transnational boundary fisheries regimes in the East African Community (EAC) Partner States, declining fish stocks in the inland water bodies and near shore marine fisheries due to environmental degradation and overfishing. Other challenges include illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities especially in our marine waters, high cost of seed and feeds for farmed fish, inadequate fish related infrastructure (electricity, landing sites, jetties & fish ports, storage facilities and road network, fish post-harvest losses and limited capacity of the local fishers to venture into the deep sea fishing. Despite the challenges, there exists huge opportunities in the sub-sector. These include: the yet to be fully exploited fisheries in Lake Turkana with potential of 30,000 MT annually, the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Indian ocean with an estimated potential of 300,000 MT, Fish farming with a potential of 1.4 million hectares on aquaculture land area with an estimated potential production of 450,000 MT, cage culture and mari-culture, aquarium fishery, sport fishing and many more others. To fully realize this great potential in the sector, it is imperative that all actors in the subsector work closely together for sustainable growth and development of the industry to address the aforementioned challenges and realize the potential of the sector. The Government has put in place, appropriate policy and legal framework by enacting the Fisheries Management and Development Act 2016. This act provides for establishment of several institutions that include Kenya Fisheries Service, Kenya Marketing Authority, and Fisheries Advisory Council. These institutions are expected to revolutionize the development of the fisheries sector, especially the exploration of our EEZ fishery, aquaculture development and fish trade as well as protection of our fisheries resources and fishing grounds. The operationalization of the Act will also contribute significantly to the realization of food and nutritional security as captured in the “Big Four Agenda”, foreign exchange earnings and employment creation for the country. In the Big 4 Agenda, my Ministry is targeting 100% Food and Nutrition Security through focusing on initiatives that will guarantee food security and nutrition to all Kenyans by 2022, through expansion of food production and supply, reduction of food prices to ensure affordability and support value addition in the food processing value chain. The Food Security and Nutrition intentions are: 7% reduction in Under 5 malnutrition; creation of 1,000 SMEs & an increase in 600,000 additional jobs; 50% reduction in the number of food insecure Kenyans; 34% increase in the average daily incomes of farmers; 47% reduction in the cost of food as a % of income; and, lastly, 50% increase in agriculture GDP contribution. The fisheries sector will play a key role in food and nutrition security with inland fisheries targeted through capacity building of fishermen to increase their fish landings production to 31,600 metric tons in the next four years. Fish stocks in inland waters including community dams and irrigation canals throughout the Country will be enhanced by restocking with 12 million fingerlings and the protection of fish breeding areas and critical habitats. Aquaculture production will be increased to 84,551 metric tones by 2022; this will be implemented by developing 10,000 High Performance Brood Stocks for seed multiplication by 25 Authenticated Private Hatcheries and the promotion of Aquaponics Systems in 1,065 learning institutions to entrench fish farming in youth. The Aquaculture Business Development Project targets to increase productivity of 31,000 fish farming households in 15 Counties. In the marine fisheries my Ministry intends to increase production though re-flagging of vessels to build capacity for domestic industrial and semi industrial fisheries through joint ventures targeting local investors and the operationalization of Liwatoni Fisheries Complex to facilitate landing of at least 30% of fish caught by foreign vessels. Overall, post harvest losses will be reduced through the establishment of fish value addition and market outlets, building and rehabilitation of fish landing sites, promotion of fish consumption and marketing by conducting “eat more fish campaigns” and the development of an Integrated Electronic Fish Marketing Information System among others. A fish market and auction center will also be established in Mombasa. Recognizing the critical role the subsector plays in the realization of food security, enhanced livelihoods and socio-economic development of the fisher fork and the nation at large, I wish to pledge the Government commitment and support in working with the County Governments and stakeholders in the development of a sustainable fishery in the Country. I wish you all a happy World Fisheries Day! Photo: Fisherman in Karagita Landing beach in lake Naivasha repare their nets ready to venture for fishing Message from the Principal Secretary, State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy Naivasha and Jipe and Tana River dams. Fish and fishery products continue to access international markets as exports. In 2015 the country exported 10,801 metric tons earning the country about Kshs. 4.1 billion (USD 45 million). The export earnings from the sector, however, reduced to 2.1 billion in 2016 due to decline in Nile Perch harvest occasioned by water hyacinth menace and illegal fishing in Lake Victoria. Prof. Micheni Japheth Ntiba, PhD, DBA, CBS State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy I warmly welcome all of you to celebrate this year’s World Fisheries Day. On this special day the fisher folk and stakeholders reflect on fisheries challenges and the required corrective measures. The fisheries sector plays an important role in the economic and social development of our Country. The sector is gaining prominence in Kenya as a major contributor to GDP through generation of income, livelihoods and employment opportunities along the value chain. In 2016, Kenya’s total fish production stood at 150,000 metric tons of fish, with marine fisheries and aquaculture producing 23,000 tons and 14,952 tons, respectively, while 95% of the national annual catch coming from inland waters of Lakes Victoria, Turkana, Baringo, Notwithstanding the significance contribution of the sector, fish stocks continue to decline in the inland capture fishery due to overexploitation and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities. If this state of affairs is not reversed, it will lead to total collapse of the fishery. To reverse this decline, necessary management measures are being implemented and enforced by the State Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy in collaboration with Kenya Fisheries services and other stakeholders. In addition to improved fisheries management, the government has embarked on enhancement of fish stocks through restocking programmes in Lakes, rivers and dams. Apart from enhancing fish stocks this restocking programme will enhance fish production, create employment, foreign exchange, and contribute to achievement of food and nutritional security. While Kenya, s Marine fishery potential is estimated at 300 000 metric tons, only 23,000 metric tons are exploited by artisanal fishers. This fishery is mainly exploited by foreign fishing vessels, which land their fish at offshore Island States. This is bound to change with the coming construction of fish ports in Lamu, Kilifi, Mombasa and Shimoni. The government is also planning to develop its domestic fleet to take advantage of Liwatoni and the other proposed fish ports. The Liwatoni fisheries complex and jetty became operational in mid-November 2018 .These initiatives will enable the country to sustainably exploit the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)for enhanced economic benefits to the fishing communities while ensuring ecosystem health of our inshore and offshore marine waters. To meet the ever increasing demand for fish and fishery products within the country and the region the government continues to support fish farming, which has been taken up country-wide, successfully, as an economic venture. The overall target is to increase aquaculture fish production at 10% growth annually to 100,000 MTs in the medium term and 450,000 MT by 2030. The production had grown to 24,096 MT by 2014 but started declining due to climate change effects and inadequate resources. • In an effort to increase aquaculture production in the country, infrastructure for fish breeding and preservation of genetic materials have been upgraded at the National Aquaculture Research and Training Centres at Sagana and Kiganjo in Kirinyaga and Nyeri Counties, respectively. In addition, three innovative production technologies namely, Intensive Catfish Production Technology; Aquaponics Production System and Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) have been transferred to operators along the value chain including hatchery managers and County technical officers. Further, the sixth offspring /generation of tilapia has been produced and is being distributed to twenty hatcheries in Meru, Embu, Makueni, Kitui, Busia, Kirinyaga, Kisumu, Kisii, Muranga and Nakuru counties to promote aquaculture development. • To further enhance aquaculture fish production the government, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has launched a Kshs. 14 billion project to increase area under aquaculture from 1,873 ha to 2000 ha by constructing new ponds under Aquaculture Business Development Project (ABDP) in 15 Counties (Kakamega ,Homa bay,Migori,Nyeri,Meru,Kirinyaga,Busia,Siaya,Kisumu,Kisii,TharakaNthi,Embu,Kiambu,Machakos,Kajiado. It is meant to increase smallholder productivity by promoting quality seed utilization, capacity build on pond management, high quality feed utilization from 225 to 356 kg/fish farmer in 30,000 households under the project. The project aim, overall, is to commercialize aquaculture initially in these counties. Fish cage farming has also gained popularity with established cages in water bodies increasing from the initial figure of 922 to current total of 3,662. On average 1,800 fish are harvested in a cycle of eight months that translates to 1.6 million fish. This initiative has created employment and generated income to the local communities and eased pressure on the natural fish stocks in the water bodies. I wish you successful and enjoyable celebrations.
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