Stakeholders welcome new legislation governing fish sector

Kiambu Governor Kabogo being shown a special kind of fish when he opened the 1st East Africa Aqualculture Symposium and Exhibition at AICAD Centre at JKUAT in Juja, Kiambu County on Thursday.

Fish farming stakeholders have welcomed a decision by the Government to introduce a law governing the multi-million shilling industry.

The stakeholders told a three-day symposium in Kiambu County that the new Act, assented to by President Uhuru Kenyatta two months ago will help uplift thousands of fish farmers across the country.

Meeting under the auspices of Eastern Africa Aquaculture Symposium and Exhibition, the agriculture experts said the region was only producing about one per cent of the world’s fish production due to among other things, lack of proper laws governing the sector.

Kiambu Governor William Kabogo who officially opened the forum, urged Kenyans to embrace fish farming. The forum which is the first of its kind took place at Africa Institute for Capacity Building (AICAD) at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

Participants noted that despite the Government commissioning thousands of fish ponds under the Economic Stimulus Programme a few years ago, the project failed to takeoff due to poor management and supply of sub-standard inputs.

“This symposium aims at improving fish farming in the region and comes at a time rising food insecurity that has topped the agenda of policy makers,” said Dr Monica Waiganjo, Kiambu County Agriculture executive. She reckons that agricultural land was declining and cited fish farming, which offers nutritious value an important alternative. Participants were trained on fish breeding technology to improve productivity.