Young people urged to venture into aquaculture

By Robert Mutasi

Fisheries experts in Kisii County have urged youths to come out in large numbers and venture into aquaculture.

Speaking during the graduation of trained youths at the Kisii county headquarters on Thursday, the chairman of Kenya Fish Marketing Authority (KFMA) Martin Ogenda said that fishing has a large market.

He challenged the youth to take advantage of it for their benefit.

The program is meant to offer training to the youths so that they can acquire skills in fishing which in turn create jobs.

"The blue economy is the new frontier globally, nationally and even locally. The lake is getting overstretched so we need to take up the aquaculture business," Ogenda noted.

He has further said that through the aquaculture business program development, they have come up with proper ways of marketing the fishing products.

"We are here to assure farmers that their efforts will not go in vain," he assured.

Further, the KFMA chairman urged the government to support the project by funding fish feeds through subsidization so as to be affordable to the youths.

On his part, Sam Macharia, the National Coordinator for the Aquaculture Business Development Program urged youths to be on the frontline in fishing by investing.

According to Macharia, the training is meant to empower youths to become self-reliant through a bottom-up approach.

"Our focus is mainly on the grassroots communities," he said.

Statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations indicate that Semi-intensive systems, mostly producing Nile tilapia, have been the major contributor to aquaculture in Kenya, with an average production of about 3 tonnes/ha, contributing more than 70 per cent of the total aquaculture production.

These systems form the bulk of aquaculture production in Kenya.