Despite the high cost of buying fish that could make good business, only 10 per cent of farmers in the Lake basin region are engaged in fish farming.
This is according to a study carried out by East Africa Sustainability Watch Network (EASusWatch) which also revealed that high start-up cost, maintenance and cultural influence are still the main reason given for low uptake of fish farming in the Lake basin.
A study dubbed Lake Victoria Environmental Management Program (LVEMP) II community driven development sub-projects watch number 2 revealed that there are few interventions to promote fish farming despite high demand for the type of delicacy in the Lake region and other parts in Kenya.
The factors affecting low uptake of aqua-culture arose during a meeting in Kisumu last weekend comprising civil society groups to discuss climate change readiness and the progress so far in mitigating it (climate change).
The network’s National Co-ordinator Nobert Nyandire in his presentation urged farmers to tap into aqua-culture and concentrate mostly on male fish as they mature faster than the female ones.
“Promotion of fish farming remains low in as much as the demand for fish is high, leaving huge stress on Lake Victoria to meet the markets’ demands,” said Nyandire.
In Kisumu County, Aqua-culture showed mixed results in middle Nyando by recording a drop from 10.1% to 5% while in lower Nyando increased from 9.2 to 26.9% then dropped to 18.3.% This is according to the annual LVEMP II Civil Society Watch Livelihood Case Study number two.