Kenya to host first ever aquaculture symposium

Kenya will host a unique meeting of stakeholders in the multi-billion shilling aquaculture sub-sector next week.

The East African Aquaculture Symposium (EAASE 2016) is the first regional aquaculture symposium in Kenya and has been organised by Kiambu County Government in collaboration with Farm Africa and some 100 key stakeholders.

Kiambu County Executive member for agriculture Dr Monicah Waiganjo said the symposium is also supported by Sustainable Aquaculture Research Networks for sub Saharan Africa (SARNISSA) that reaches more than 300 aquaculture stakeholders in Africa.

The event will create a platform where players in the value chain will exhibit their roles and develop partnerships and networks.

Dr Waiganjo said the symposium whose theme is Strengthening Aquaculture Value Chain in the Eastern Africa region, will have several objectives, among them to create a forum for the participants to showcase their roles in aquaculture.

Experts invited for the three-day event at African Institute for Capacity Development Centre within Jomo Kenyatta University of Technology in Juja, will take farmers through several themes.

These include, fish breeding technology for improved productivity, climate smart aquaculture and service delivery for improved grow-out yields, value addition, processing and marketing for increased aquaculture income, identification and promotion of quality fish feeds technologies and innovations.

The symposium will unravel why aquaculture sub-sector, being the fastest growing food sector globally with an annual growth rate of 11 per cent has remained under-exploited.

In Asia the industry is producing 90 per cent of the world’s fish demand and offering livelihoods to millions. But in Africa, fish supply from aquaculture is only three per cent of the world production and only one per cent from East Africa despite great potential. — By Maureen Akinyi