Fishponds make a splash in fish production

By Standard reporter

Fishponds are spurning a revolution in the fish market. The ponds, which were part of the stimulus package proposed in the 2009/10 financial year, has seen production from farmed fishing rise 2000 per cent from 1,000 metric tonnes in 2007 to 20,000 tonnes this year.

The increase has been brought about by the substantial income earned by farmers and the opportunities for companies producing accessories of fishpond construction like dam liners to expand their business.

This has seen about 50,000 fishponds constructed over the period, almost double the 28,000 fishponds envisaged by the stimulus. 

Fisheries secretary Professor Charles Ngugi confirmed that many people had joined fish farming since 2007, resulting in the construction of thousands of fishponds. 

Value chain

“Since 2007, we have constructed between 48,000 and 50,000 fish ponds in various parts of the country. Out of this we have assisted in job creation along the value chain and fish production has equally increased by about 2,000 per cent,” he said.

But while others are praising the growth in the sector, critics are raising concern about the decrease in capture fisheries, and accusing the government of promoting farmed area fishing over former.

The critics cite data showing that capture fisheries has decreased 45 per cent between 2007 and this year, from 200,000 metric tonnes to the current 150,000 metric tonnes. 

But Ngugi denied the claims, saying fishpond farming was embraced to expand wealth creation avenues as well as bring in more people into the job market. He added fishpond farming is an extension of the capture fishing.

“We are not in any way ignoring capture fisheries, but we are out to ensure that general fish farming in the country is well supported,” he said.   He said the situation in capture fishing is attributable to a number of factors, ranging from declining fish stocks in the natural water bodies, to conflict between various users of fisheries resources and cross-border fishing and trade conflict.

Been affected

“Capture fishing farming has also been affected by interruption of the fish marketing, especially the EU export market, fish quality and post-harvest issues, lack of a comprehensive fisheries policy and a fisheries master plan, low funding levels for the department and slow capacity building and staff motivation,” Mr Ngugi added.