By WAINAINA NDUNG’U
The Government intends use secondary schools to encourage Kenyans to eat more fish.
Agriculture Permanent Secretary Micheni Ntiba said the Government will put up 20 fish ponds in every constituency at a cost of Sh200,000 each. The fish ponds will be constructed in selected secondary schools and the money will catering for fitting, fingerlings stocking and fish feed for six months.
The Government also built 300 fish ponds in each constituency under the economic stimulus programme launched in 2009.
Prof Ntiba said the Government wanted to promote fish farming among students, with a hope that the youngsters will replicate the projects and popularise fish consumption in their localities.
“Kenyans on average consume only three kilogrammes of fish an year, which is far below the recommended global average of 16kgs,” said Ntiba who is a professor of fish and marine science.
He spoke during an “Eat More Fish” campaign meeting at Kenyatta Mahiga High School in Othaya, Nyeri County.
The PS said Kenya had made major strides in shifting from relying on fish from natural waters to the farmed variety and currently produced 50,000 metric tonnes of the commodity from four metric tonnes in 2009.
However, exploitation of farmers by middlemen remained a major challenge and the Government has rolled out Sh60 million primary processing and cold storage facilities at Wamagana in Nyeri, South Imenti in Meru, Rongo in Migori and in Kakamega to mitigate the problem.
He said presently Kenya over 1.4 million hectares for fish farming while many more could be made available.
Nyeri County executive member in charge of Agriculture Shadrack Mubea said although the area has a high potential for fish farming, productivity remained low.
The PS also said the Government has purchased patrol vessels to secure traditional fishing areas such as Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana.
“Two more vessels will soon be launched for patrol of the Indian Ocean,” he said.
