Photo/the-star.co.ke
Operations of a fish laboratory in Mombasa is set to kickoff as sh 100 million has been set aside for the operations. One of three such facilities set up in the country at a total cost of Sh1 billion.Prof Micheni Ntiba the Fisheries Principal Secretary , said that the facility would ensure fish sold to foreign markets was of high quality.“The Lake Victoria fishery was closed to the European Union market for one and half years in 2009 that was when we committed to build these laboratories. We can now exploit our fish resources with the confidence that the products are of high quality,” he said, adding that the ministry was in the process of acquiring required accreditation to international standards.The PS spoke on Tuesday when he launched the Mombasa laboratory and vessel monitoring system at the Fisheries offices in Mombasa.The other two labs are in Kisumu and Nairobi. The Spanish and Kenyan governments are responsible for the funding which was launched in october 2013.The coverage of the contract includes a construction of a lab in Nairobi and two satellites in Mombasa and Kisumu.The Mombasa facility will deal with marine fish products while the Kisumu one will handle fresh water fish products.In addition prof Ntiba said “The Nairobi lab will be a referral international facility with offering training and a conference centre with the objective of ensuring that all fish coming from this region of a high quality".Pro Ntiba said there were efforts to sensitise Kenyans on the health benefits of eating fish with the aim of raising local consumption from the current six kilogrammes of fish per person per year to 10 kilogrammes.