With new vessel, institute can save Sh5 million a year

By Peter Atsiaya

Researchers working on Lake Victoria have a reason to smile after the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) purchased a Sh750 million research vessel.

The new vessel, RV Uvumbuzi, equipped with modern facilities will help KMFRI save upto Sh5 million a year which it has been using to hire research ships from Tanzania.

"The acquisition of the vessel is a milestone in the institute’s research work at the lake," said assistant director of Fisheries in charge of Western Kenya station Richard Abila.

Abila said the vessel would be unveiled by Fisheries Development Minister Dr Paul Otuoma at the institute’s headquarters in Kisumu.

Water research

He noted that the vessel would be of immense importance in fish stock assessment and water quality research.

"These are the two main areas our research is centred on and the institute has been handicapped because of lack of a vessel to facilitate research work," Abila explained. "Researchers would now be able to adequately look at the size of the fish and how they are distributed apart from accessing the pollution status and quantity of oxygen using the vessel without strain," he added.

Abila pointed out that they have for a long time been hiring a vessel from Tanzania which has been very expensive.

"The Institute has for the last five years been hiring a vessel from Tanzania for research in the lake. The vessel constructed in early 90s did not have modern facilities to use in research work," said Abila. He noted that RV Uvumbuzi provides an environment which promotes reliability, safety and ease of service.

In addition, the ship has been made to absorb future development that may come about as research or monitoring activities on Lake Victoria.

He said the ship has been constructed to serve the institute for the next 40 years and thus will enhance the capacity of KMFRI to provide scientific data for management of fisheries resources.