SEPTEMBER 2018 VOLUME1 ISSUE 1 KMFRI BOUNTIES OF LAKE VICTORIA BOUNTIES OF LAKE VICTORIA Cage culture real story: Make money through cage fish farming in Lake Victoria Inside this issue Foreward...2 Cage culture in Lake Victoria..3 Towards Fish health....7 Fish landings in Lake Victoria..9 Pictorial News 10 Water Hyacinth.12 Water quality in Rivers...13 Catch Assessment.....14 Omena Fishery... 16 Lake Victoria Repository.17 Upcoming events... 18 Business wing..... 18 Fish biowaste...19 KISUMU CENTER NEWSLETTER1
Message from the Director Message from the Assistant Director Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) is a State Corporation established in 1979 following the break-up of the East African Community in 1977. KMFRl's mandate is to undertake research in "marine and freshwater fisheries, aquaculture, environmental and ecological studies, and marine research including chemical and physical oceanography". KMFRI s mission is to generate and disseminate scientific information for sustainable utilization of marine and fisheries resources, development of strategic enterprises, food security, employment creation, conservation and restoration of the aquatic environment. In this regard, KMFRI promotes dissemination of aquatic research findings in various platforms such as social and mainstream media. In this case, information dissemination through newsletter comes in handy to capture various audiences to ensure that the information shared reaches the relevant stakeholders optimally. Fisheries is an important sector in Kenya providing direct employment opportunities to over half a million people and supporting over 2m people indirectly. The future of fisheries is promising if we can fully exploit off shore areas and commercialize fish farming. Cage farming has picked up in Lake Victoria, supplementing the declining capture fisheries. The sector can therefore significantly contribute to the Blue economy. James Muriithi Njiru (Ph.D) DIRECTOR/ CEO KMFRI KMFRI Kisumu Research Centre is situated to the West of Kisumu town on the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria at an altitude of 1190m. The offices are along Nkrumah road, approximately 2Km off Kisumu - Busia road opposite the National Cereals and Produce board. Kisumu Research Centre is the headquarters of inland waters stations namely: Lake Turkana Station, Lake Baringo Station, and Lake Naivasha Station. The Centre undertakes fisheries research under the following programmes: fisheries, environment, aquaculture, ecology and socioeconomics. It co-ordinates research work in various main freshwater bodies, rivers and small water bodies. The center works towards various interventions to address the declining capture fisheries within the Lake Victoria region, Kenya. Among them include mapping of suitability sites for cages towards sustainability, development of a manual on best practices in cage culture and monitoring of environmental pollution of rivers draining into the Lake since they are the main sources of pollution. Policy briefs have been developed on the best gear for exploitation of the main commercial catches of the Lake. Moving forward, more will be done towards sustainability of the Lake s ecosystem. Bounties of Lake Victoria (Vol 1 Issue 1) is the first newsletter that show-cases milestones in fresh-water news on bi-annual basis. Christopher Aura (Ph. D) AD/CD FRESHWATER SYSTEMS 2
COVER STORY Cage Culture in Lake Victoria. A Stimulus for economic growth in the Lake region By : Veronica Ombwa Cage culture in Lake Victoria has largely boosted production of farmed fish in the country. A 2017 survey recorded a rapid rise of cages from 1,663 (in 2015-2016) to 3,696 with current production estimated at 3.18 MT valued at 9.6 million USD. The sub-sector s value chain, its supportive value chains and associated enterprises are rapidly expanding thus creating jobs, enhancing incomes and ensuring food security in rural and urban areas. This culture system has various advantages including free exchange of water and removal of wastes from the cages, high productivity, ease of harvesting, monitoring and the fact that it uses the existing water resources such as lakes, reservoirs, dams, ponds and Oceans. Site selection Selection of a suitable site for an investor should involve adherence to strict criteria since each site may have specific laws governing the use of public waters. Moreover, poor cage siting may result to poor fish growth, mortalities as well as conflict with other water users. Cages should be located at a depth of 10m and above, and away from areas that can obstruct other users. Moreover, it should be at a distance of not less than 300 meters from the shore. KMFRI has developed a suitability map on the recommended sites for location of cages by incorporating factors like bathymetry and fish breeding sites. This has assisted in delineation of the lake ecosystem for other uses along Lake Victoria, Kenya. The five riparian counties of the Lake Victoria (Siaya, Migori, Kisumu, Homabay and Busia) have shown varying levels of investment as is depicted in Fig. 1. Cage design A cage is made up of a frame, floats, anchors, weights and a top cover as is illustrated in Fig. 2. All the components work together to ensure that the entire structure is intact. Fig. 2: Typical design of a cage Cage technology All investors in Lake Victoria, Kenya are using floating cage technology which varies significantly on cage frame material. The quality of cage material, feed management and security of farmed fish against escaping to the wild are environmental critical factors for investor s consideration. The cage design and size plays a key role not only in production capacity but also on the survival and growth of the farmed fish. Rectangular, square and circular cages are the common designs that have been adopted in the Lake. Various frame materials have been utilized including galvanized metal, wood, PVC and High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE). It is recommended that cage investors gradually transit from the traditional fabricated galvanized metal and PVC cages to more environmentally friendly (HDPE) cages. Due to the high capital and operational costs of HDPE cages, the small cage investors are highly recommended to form groups or Sacco s to enable them have the financial capacity to purchase and operate them for enhanced returns. Fig. 1: Uptake of the fishery in the Lake Majority of the investments are into culture of Tilapia (Ngege). 3
PVC Cages Imported HDPE 20-meter diameter cage Feeds Locally fabricated wooden cages Locally fabricated galvanized metal cages Fig. 3: Various cage designs adopted in Lake Victoria, Kenya. Feed accounts for the highest operational costs in an aquaculture venture. For optimal performance, there is need to ensure that the feed used is of good quality (having the right nutrients in the correct proportions) and at the right quantity. Feeds can either be commercial or locally formulated. Currently there are 18 documented local feed manufacturers and 5 importers. The cost of feeds varies with the source, and the stage of growth (Table 1). Imported feeds cost more in comparison to quality commercial fish feeds produced locally (average cost of Ksh. 200 (US$ 2) to Ksh. 120 per kg (US$ 1.2 per kg), a cost considered still too high against the current growth rates with a reported FCR of between 1.2 and 1.8. Table 1: Average cost of feed at different stages of growth. Stage Fingerlings Post Fingerlings Juvenile Market Size Average Price (Ksh per kg) 180 154 125 110 4
With varied stocking densities and feeding regimes yields of between 10-14 kg m -3 at 300-600 g body weight in 6-8 months can be achieved. A comparison of cage and pond culture have shown that cage culture is cheaper, recording higher productivity than ponds. KMFRI is a certified producer of quality floating feed that comprises of the right quantities in the correct proportions. The fish mash is in powder form ideal for fry and fingerlings, while the floating pellets are for grow-out fish. Cage Culture Commercialization Concept Cage culture commercialisation calls for a shift from the traditional, low- investment status to high investment. The current production stands at an average of 3,180MT and is a milestone towards addressing the fourth pillar for industrialization and food security for all Kenyans. The cage construction, material importation and supply as well as farm management with the outlets have contributed to increased job opportunities specifically for youth and women in line with vision 2030. The Blue Economy commercialization concept is in addition geared towards transiting aquaculture value chain actors from their current livelihood status to middle income levels pegged at an annual per capita of USD 4,000 (Table 2). Table 2: Capital investments and projected income Variable Level of Commercialization Emerging Lower Commercial Upper Commercial Distribution Frequency USD Kshs USD Kshs USD Kshs Daily 2 200 5 500 10 1000 Per capita income Monthly 60 6,000 150 15000 330 33,000 Annual 730 73,000 2000 200,000 4000 400,000 Daily 12 1,200 30 3000 60 6,000 Household income Monthly 360 36,000 900 90000 1980 198,000 Annual 4,380 438,000 12000 1,200,0000 24,000 2,400,000 If fish cage farming value chain actors adapt commercial size cages (> 60m 3 ) with a minimum stocking density of 80/ m 3, aquaculture value chain would have a potential of transiting from subsistence to full commercialization (upper commercial). To fully achieve this, a cage farmer is expected to source for affordable high quality seed and feed and ensure good management practices throughout the growth period. These will in turn create job opportunities, increase incomes and food security across the aquaculture value chain. 5
Trials for cage culture of Nile perch (Mbuta) Trials are on-going on the potential of culturing Nile perch under captivity in Lake Victoria in Siaya County (Plate 1). Light traps are constructed together with the cages to facilitate attraction of small fish into the cages for food to the cultured perch as depicted below. Plate 1: Experimental Nile perch cage trials at Usenge in Lake Victoria. Pen culture in the Lake KMFRI Kisumu aquaculturists in partnership with local community are engaged in a feasibility study of pen culture of Ngege in fresh water bodies (Plate 2). The area under the project is located in Seme sub-county, Kisumu county where little fisheries activities are taking place. The outcome of this project will inform the applicability of pen culture, not only in the lake but also on the viability of rolling the project either in satellite lakes or mapped river banks. Plate 2 : Pen culture at Kaloka in Lake Victoria. 6
Towards the advancement of the Fish Health research By : Caleb Ayub Ogwai and Venny Mziri Mwainge The deterioration of the Lake Victoria ecosystem and the cumulative decline in the capture fisheries in the recent past is real. Because of this decline, there has been a steady interest and investment in the culture fisheries in the Lake Victoria Basin to meet the shortfall. This development has however been hindered by sporadic fish mortalities whose causes are traced largely to diseases and water quality. Bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic or the little known haemoparasites have been found to be the origin. Total mortalities recorded in one incident was 5,732 fish specimens while in another incident the value of loss recorded by the cage culturists has been as high as Ksh.57 Million. In addition to losses, it has been suggested that fish diseases may be a suitable indicator of monitoring biological effects on environmental deterioration (pollution). In principle, pollutants may reduce disease resistance by causing physiological stress or they may increase the number and the activity of the infectious agents prompting a higher infection pressure. The link between disease, impaired immune system, and the prevailing water quality is a focal point of research for the Fish Health Unit in Kisumu. Emerging disease in the Tilapia industry Tilapia Lake Virus Tilapines are the second most important category of farmed fish globally, with a production estimated at 4.5 million metric tonnes which is valued at over 7.5 billion U.S dollars (FAO 2014). Moreover, their ecological importance cannot be underscored since they play a role in algae and mosquito control and also habitat maintenance in the culture of shrimps. Unfortunately, this crucial industry is facing a threat from a virus, referred to as the Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) which is causing mass deaths of cultured stocks. TiLV has been confirmed in some countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This virus exist in both fresh and brackish waters and affects wild, farmed and commercial hybrid tilapia. Studies have linked the disease to stressful conditions and have shown a higher mortality rate on fingerlings and stocks post-restocking. Gross symptoms of affected fish Hemorrhagic (bleeding) skin Skin wounds Eye abnormalities Reduced schooling and gathering at pond bottom Discoloration Protruding scales Slow movement Recommendations Adherence to the recommended stocking densities. Screening live tilapia imports (seed or brood fish for aquaculture). Reporting any mortalities between 20-90% to biosecurity authorities. Developing contingency plans to deal with outbreaks. Capacity building and awareness of various stakeholders to support implementation of simple farm level biosecurity programs. Monitoring movement of fish from affected farms. Thorough investigation of all reports of tilapia mortalities 7
Fish landings in Lake Victoria, Kenya By : Nicholas Gichuru Lake Victoria is the second largest lake in the world with an area of 68,000 km 2, which encompasses Uganda (43%), Tanzania (51%), and Kenya (6%). The lake supports the largest inland freshwater fishery in the world. The Kenyan portion covers an area of about 4,128km 2 which contributes over 80% of annual fish landings in Kenya. The Kenyan fishery therefore revolves around Lake Victoria. The main commercial fishes landed are Omena/dagaa/mukene (53.32%,) Nile Perch (33.4%) and Tilapia (4.31%). Lake Victoria fish landings increased from 150 tons in 1973 to a peak of 150,000 on average in the late 80s to early 2000, an indication that the fishery had reached it s optimum level. The fishery production started fluctuating drastically from 2006 to 2015. The highest peak was reached in 2014 when 200,000 tons were landed. This was followed by a sharp decline the following year 2015(fig. 1). The fishery is thus unstable at the moment. Measures need to be put in place to reduce the fishing pressure to the levels of the 90s to sustain the fishery. Fig. 1: Annual fish landings from Lake Victoria, Kenya (1973-2015) Kenya s standing stock in Lake Victoria The standing stock of major fish groups estimated for the Kenyan part of the lake in September 2014, November 2015 and August 2016 acoustic surveys is presented in Table 1. Nile perch biomass has been declining steadily since the year 2014. The biomass declined by about 31% from 58,374 tons in 2015 to 40,173 tons in 2016. Nyanza Gulf registered the highest decline (50%). Similarly, dagaa and haplochromines/others biomass declined by 40% and 72% respectively. The freshwater prawn (Caridina nilotica) on the contrary exhibited an explosion of biomass, registering over 12 folds increase. Most of the Nile perch (97%) were estimated to be less than 50 cm TL. Fish of this size range accounted for about 83% of the biomass for the species. Only 17% of Nile perch were over 50 cm TL, thus the bulk of fish landed were immature. 8
Table 1. Standing stock for Nile perch, Omena, haplochromines/other fish species and C. nilotica. Nile perch Year Littoral zone Inshore Off shore Total 2014 33,207 31,152 1,402 65,761 2015 16,424 38,596 3,354 58,374 2016 9,661 28,827 1,685 40,173 Omena/Dagaa 2014 30,621 34,907 14,285 79,813 2015 43,457 51,654 11,478 106,589 2016 16,595 18,890 28,578 64,063 Haplochromines and others 2014 3,863 13,416 4,806 22,085 2015 10,432 29,186 9,092 48,710 2016 1,545 7,968 4,058 13,571 Caridina 2014 772 1,230 82 2,084 2015 1,554 2,234 410 4,198 2016 5,409 23,135 22,737 51,281 Reasons behind fish landings in Lake Victoria, Kenya The total fish landings have been increasing over the years (1973-2015) mainly due to explosion of Nile perch catches in the late 1980s and 1990s (Fig. 1). Nile perch dominated landings throughout the 80s and 90s but was eventually succeeded by omena in subsequent years. On the other hand, landings of tilapia and other indigenous species have gradually declined in recent years. Tilapia landings are so low that they have to be supplemented through aquaculture, cage culture and imports, mostly from China. The main reasons for fisheries decline is due to rampant illegal fishing, use of undersize gears, poor agricultural practices, urbanisation, industrialization, poor waste disposal and effects of global warming. This has compromised the lakes production and water quality which is exhibited through proliferation of algal blooms and the water hyacinth. The lake s former glory can be reclaimed through promotion of soil conservation friendly agricultural practices, re-afforestation, well planned urbanisation/industrialization and good fisheries management. It is recommended that for Nile perch and tilapia fishery to recover and return to its former production levels, a gillnet of 7 and above should be used for this Nile perch fishery, while a gillnet of 5 should be used for harvesting tilapia. KMFRI has already given a policy brief to fisheries managers for consideration. 9
An investors sensitization workshop on value addition for silver cyprinids (Omena) Fishery Renowned scientist Martin Van Der Knaap of FAO (Ghana) at the repository during his tour of the KMFRI in January 2018 Fish Pond Preparation, clearance and maintenance at the office A lab technician supervises a student on attachment 10 The Director together with the Technicians at the Fish Ponds Regional Hydro-acoustic team on board Mv. Explorer on research in Lake Victoria
Beach seines (illegal gears) loaded in boats for a fishing expedition at Goye (Yala River mouth) Monitoring and Evaluation training workshop at the KMFRI Kisumu. Water hyacinth invading BMU offices at Namabusi beach-nzoia River Delta Electrofishing Research done at River Nzoia by DR. Odoli and Mr. Gichuru along side the Technicians KMFRI Gear technologists making a new trawl net for research 11
The water hyacinth is back in Nyanza Gulf: An early warning based on observed trends By : Job Mwamburi, Collins Ongore, Nicholas Gichuru and John Ouko Excessive nutrient loading has lowered the water quality of the lake and is manifested in proliferation of algal blooms and emergence of the water hyacinth menace. Water hyacinth in the Nyanza Gulf follows a cyclical pattern of emergence, growth, disappearance, and reappearance within a year. The multi-annual spatial and temporal patterns indicate that Kisumu bay has had previous tendency to host massive mats at its peak in the month of January. In 2017, the water weed (hyacinth) blocked the busy Kisumu pier, the county s water abstraction point and interfered with eco-tourism around Kisumu Bay from the month of April to July 2017. This caused inconveniences to lake users translating to huge economic losses to lake users (Plate 1). Plate 1: Impacts of the water hyacinth to various Lake users The water weed gradually disappeared from Nyanza Gulf in the months of September- December, 2017, by February, 2018 water hyacinth had stopped being a menace in the lake. 12
This year, the weed started showing up in substantial amounts in June after the long rains. The weed has been increasing in volume and has been moving in an east-west and south-east directions depending on wind movement (plate 1). The weed is slowly moving towards Kisumu, a nerve centre of the region. It is feared in a couple of months it will become a menace in the area. Ecological integrity of the Western Kenya rivers. By: Fredrick Guya Lake Victoria is drained by myriad of both perennial and seasonal rivers with River Kagera having the largest discharge. The Kenyan basin, though small, is drained by several major rivers contributing over 38% of the total surface inflows to the lake. Some of the major Western Kenya rivers draining into the lake are: Nzoia, Yala, Kuja, Sio, Sondu-Miriu, Nyando, Kibos and Awach. Due to its large discharge, the Kenyan section has been traditionally believed to be the spawning grounds for many migratory fish species across the region. Rivers are of great economic and ecological importance since they provide water for both domestic and industrial use, power generation, irrigation and biotic life support. Since the advent of industrial revolution in 1750 s, the ecological integrity of many aquatic ecosystems have degenerated considering that aquatic basins are the major sinks of both industrial and municipal wastes, and other land based pollutants from surface run-offs. Following increased nutrient enrichment of the Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria, increased external loadings from river discharge systems have been implicated as the source of exacerbated concentrations. Although there is paucity of historical information on fisheries dynamics of Western Kenya rivers, there has been an observed dramatic decline in the fisheries of the river systems. The shifts in biotic composition and abundances are believed to be impacted by changes in the rivers water quality. High in the list of highly impacted rivers are Nyando and Nzoia. Researches conducted along River Nyando, for example, indicates that the river is consistently the most turbid and with the highest phosphorus load. Within River Nyando and Nzoia basins are Agro based industries discharging there effluents directly into the rivers. The locals have intimated that during regular maintenance periods of the agro industries, they experience massive fish kills along the two rivers. KMFRI through International Foundation for Science (IFS) grant, undertook a study along River Nyando to establish the sources of phosphorus loading into the river. The aim of the study was to establish, mitigate and restore the water quality of the river. The waters exhibited hypertrophic conditions during the study period. A similar but more integrated study through National Research Fund s (NRF) funding to KMFRI seeks to assess the status of pollution in four biodiversity hotspots (Kuja, Nzoia, Yala and Sondu-Miriu river mouths) in Lake Victoria. This study aims at identifying the river that pollutes the lake the most and their impact on biodiversity. Rivers being the primary sources of pollution to any given lake, their studies are subservient to efforts towards lake-wide water quality restorations. Aquatic system restorations would therefore require determination of maximum allowable load for waste water discharges with strict enforcement of existing environmental laws. 13
Catch assessment in Lake Victoria, Kenya. By: Monica A. Owili and Joseph Nyaundi Catch Assessment Surveys are some of the avenues used to collect information for monitoring fish population dynamics as well as the magnitude, distribution and trends of fishing effort and fish catches. They are necessary for making sound and informed decisions for policy and management of Lake Victoria fisheries. This information provides the Catch Per Unit of Effort (CPuE). The CPuE is used together with Frame Survey (FS) data to estimate total fish catches. Data collection at various landing sites is carried out by CAS enumerators who are recruited from the fishing communities and work under the supervision of sub-county Fisheries Officers. In addition, there is involvement of the respective Beach Management Units (BMUs) in this activity. Fisheries catch assessment surveys in Lake Victoria provide information on: The quantities of fish landed monthly, quarterly and annually in the riparian local administrative units and counties, The monetary value of the fish landed and The contribution of different fish species to the total catches. What are frame surveys? This is a direct enumeration of all fish landing sites and provide the following information: Composition, magnitude and distribution of fishing effort, fishers and beach facilities. Structure of the fishery for fisheries management. Information required for the design of other statistical survey systems like CAS. Raising factors for estimation of total catches from CAS data Catch Assessment Surveys (CAS) results as at May 2018 Catch rates The observed catch rates of the main commercial fish species are apparently lower than they were a decade ago. County estimates of total fish catches and beach value (landing site) of the main commercial species The Nile Perch (Mbuta): The estimated monthly Nile perch catches in Homa Bay county was 1,479.3 t, with a beach value of up to 0.534 billion shillings in May 2018 (Table 1). In Siaya and Migori counties, the monthly Nile perch catches was 704.8 t and 283.4 t respectively with a beach value of up to approximately 0.24 billion shillings. Tilapia (Ngege) : Siaya county had the highest estimated monthly tilapia total catches at 93.0 t with a beach value of 26. 8 million shillings per month. Homa Bay County followed with a monthly catch of 61 t of tilapia worth 17.41 million shillings. The least monthly tilapia catches of 40 t were in Busia, Kisumu and Migori Counties. Homa Bay County had the largest production of Omena (Plate 1) at 7,915.0 mt per month and a beach value of 201,573 million shillings. This was followed by Siaya County with 4,033 mt and a beach value of 118.6 million shillings. The other counties with substantial production of Dagaa were Migori and Busia having produced 2,175 mt and 1,694 mt valued at 53.94 and 44.63 million shillings respectively. Plate 1: Omena drying on the beaches of Homabay county. 14
Table 1: Estimated total catches (mt) and beach value (KES ('000) in Kenya presented by county for May 2018 Fish species County Busia Homa Bay Kisumu Migori Siaya TOTAL Wt (mt 260 1,479 267 283 705 2,994 Nile perch Value ('000) 61,001 353,525 62,534 67,849 170,394 715,303 Tilapia Dagaa Haplochromines P. aethiopicus Clarias gariepenus Synodontis spp Total Wt (mt 19 61 5 37 93 215 Value ('000) 5,395 17,410 1,553 10,672 26,793 61,824 Wt (mt 1,694 7,915 163 2,175 4,033 15,980 Value ('000) 44,627 201,573 8,984 53,935 118,632 427,750 Wt (mt 16 37 1 0 0 54 Value ('000) 1,023 2,241 84 42 0 3,390 Wt (mt 1 2 8 0 3 15 Value ('000) 239 466 1,554 62 537 2,858 Wt (mt 1 3 8 0 1 12 Value ('000) 70 498 1,071 11 87 1,737 Wt (mt 11 21 5 2 2 41 Value ('000) 804 1,203 303 200 95 2,605 Wt (mt 2,002 9,518 457 2,497 4,837 19,311 Value ('000) 113,159 576,916 76,083 132,771 316,538 1,215,467 Records from this survey indicated low values of other species such as the haplochromines (fulu),synodontis spp. (Okoko), P.aethiopicus (Kamongo) and C.gariepinus (Mumi) in the catches. Their contribution was insignificant. Conclusion and Recommendations The 3 commercial fish species have declined over the last 5 years. Actions that increase productivity of the Nile perch are required because they can yield large increases in direct incomes of the fishers. To increase productivity of Nile perch, destructive illegal fishing gears and methods should be eliminated. The current threats to the tilapia fishery include the rampant use of monofilament gillnets, active operation of gillnets, the continued use of cast nets which target the brood stock and the ease with which one can enter the fishery. Elimination of illegal fishing gears (Plate 2) and methods and control of entry could improve productivity of the tilapia fishery. Plate 2: Some illegal fishing gears encountered in the Lake 15
The Omena fishery By: Nicholas Gichuru and Cyprian Odoli Omena is the most important small fish species in the Lake contributing immensely to the protein of the poor population. It is caught using the small meshed- seine nets and attraction lamps. The highest catch is recorded in dark nights when the effect of the artificial attraction is maximized (Plate 1). It currently accounts for more than 50% of the total landings in the Lake. Omena is an excellent source of many essential nutrients, contributing to food security and nutrition. Surplus produce is taken up by the animal feed industries in Nairobi, Thika and Nakuru town further contributing to improved livelihoods and eventually poverty alleviation. Huge post- harvest losses have been recorded by the fisher folk with estimations showing a per capita gross post-harvest fish loss of Ksh 1,600 in high fishing season and Ksh 490 in low season. To lessen fish post-harvest losses, attempts have been made through government and donor agencies by installing various postharvest loss reduction interventions along the lake but most of the installed interventions are either incomplete or not operational except in a few observed cases. The interventions includes Banda s, cold rooms, pontoon/jetties, potable water, Electricity supply, fish stores, drying racks, (Plate 2) all weather roads and toilet facilities, among others. Technological developments that can reduce fish post-harvest losses along the value chain should be adopted so as to preserve the excess fish supply during high fishing seasons in order to compliment the low supply during low fishing seasons. Clean water is crucial for post-harvest management along the value chain. Plate 1: Traders taking omena from the boat The losses are attributed to traditionally fish drying in open sun, which during rainy season results to extensive postharvest losses. Plate 2: Dagaa sun dried on raised racks to reduce contamination 16
KMFRI Freshwaters Resource Centre and Fish Repository By : Hilda Nyaboke The KMFRI Fresh Waters Resource Centre and Fish repository is a one stop platform highlighting KMFRI s activities and accomplishments in fisheries and aquatic research. It offers a valuable teaching resource for academic institutions and other stakeholders; providing an important channel for information dissemination. Plate 1: Mitua Girls Secondary on a guided tour at the Resource Centre and Fish Repository in December 2017. Since its inception in August 2017, this facility has to date served over five local university groups and seven secondary/primary schools (Plate 1) among other institutions (national & international)/interest groups amounting to over 1000 students and 150 adults. The Biorepository, one of the key products of the facility; is the first of its kind in aquatic research in Kenya providing students and scientists a platform for practical research in fisheries and aquatic sciences. Presently, many graduate students are handicapped because of the high costs of field research as well as inability to access bioresources in established institutions like the Royal Museum of Central Africa (RMCA) in Belgium. This wing supports KMFRI s obligation as a center of excellence in aquatic research in the country by making this resources available to students and the scientific community. To support this, all research protocols used in the collection of the said specimen are made available in the new Freshwaters database (www.kenyasdata.com) established at KMFRI Kisumu Centre. Resource Centre components Aquatic Biodiversity Educational Museum Fish ecology resource unit Herbarium unit Fishing gear technology demonstration Digital/print display section The resource centre enjoys good relations with the community and a section is dedicated to community partnerships. KICK Youth Centre in Kisumu (water hyacinth products) and Alisam Product development and design (Plate 2) (Fish leather products) are a few of such beneficiaries with their products displayed at the resource centre. This section also coordinates information dissemination to the public and participation in public forums Plate 2: An array of products from fish leather developed by Alisam product development and design. 17
Upcoming Events: 5th Africa engineering week and 3rd African engineering conference. Location: Pride inn, Mombasa. Period: 17th 21st September, 2018. Lake Victoria regional Hydro-acoustics Survey Location: Lake Victoria Period: 3rd September to 5th October, 2018. The Lake region trade investment and Blue economy conference. Location: Bomet county, Kenya. Period: 23rd 26th October, 2018. GLOW IX: An international Symposium. Emerging frontiers for African great Lakes Promoting blue economy, food security and conservation. Location: Kisumu, Kenya. Period: 15th 18th April, 2019. Kisumu business wing The KMFRI Kisumu business wing, established in 2016 continues to serve the public by making available KMFRI products (Plate 1) and services as outlined in the Service delivery chatter. The KMFRI shop serves clients from the region including fish farmers from Kisumu, Siaya, Vihiga, Kakamega and Busia counties with the supply of quality fish feeds and fish seeds from KMFRI aquaculture stations, among other products. Other clients include county governments, schools and local stakeholders. This wing is also involved in the marketing and selling of published books and manuals in marine and fisheries management furnishing the stakeholders with scientific knowledge and technical guidance for informed decision making towards investments. Aquaria Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kisumu center is home to a wide range of ornamental fishes, housed in the institutes aquaria (Plate 2). Ornamental fish include gold fish, sword tail and Koi carps. Moreover, exotic species from the Lake are found here, facilitating knowledge sharing with communities and stakeholders visiting the station. The institute through the aquaria provides various services including construction of glass aquaria of various sizes and dimensions, training services on care and maintenance of aquarium production, artificial propagation of catfish for bait and training of fish farmers on fish feed formulation using cheap, locally available and complete ingredients. Plate 1: Products at the KMFRI Kisumu center business wing Plate 2 : KMFRI Kisumu Aquaria 18
Fish Bio waste utilization for economic development & improved hygiene along the value chain By : Dennis Otieno Natural product and post-harvest technology endeavors to research on utilization and conversion of waste into creation of new products and post-harvest loss managements. The natural products range from water itself, fish, macrophytes, bacteria, fungi, algae, phytoplankton and zooplanktons. Kisumu station is actively doing research on fish oil extraction and its utilization, inhibition of fish spoilage bacteria, utilization of fish scales, postharvest management among others. Fish oil is a polyunsaturated fat reach in omega 3 fatty acids and classified as good fat." unlike other types of fat, they don t elevate blood pressure or clog your blood vessels. There is high potential in natural product to help in the sustainable utilization of aquatic resources as it can provide alternative source of income hence enticing others fishers to invest in the sector rather than casting their nets into the waters full time. Did you know? Oil supplements companies such as cod liver oil, seven seas are all overseas companies and Kenya has no fish oil producing company despite the fact that it has ocean, lakes and rivers. Fish offal contributes to the fish biomass and it is usually underutilized or considered waste due to inadequate knowledge on waste to resource. However, usable fish oil can be extracted from them. Pictures showing polyunsaturated oils extracted from fish visceral organs and soap made from fish oil. The oil remain liquid at room temperature and form an amorphous solid on freezing. Conclusion and recommendation Fish oil can be successfully extracted from the viscera at a profit hence the need of capital investment in the sector Daily collection of fish waste from one of the markets in Kisumu by the county government. This waste include scales, fish offal and other chaff mixed together for disposal. Research on natural products could change this situation and turn the waste to resource. Utilization of bio-waste to resources helps in environmental sanitization and saves the local county government collection of waste from fish in the market places. Aquatic natural resources has a potential of creating job opportunity and become a multibillion sector that can support the achievement of the blue economy 19
Water hyacinth monitoring in Lake Victoria, Kenya. Chief Editor Dr. Christopher Mulanda Aura (PhD) Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), P.O. Box 1881-40100, Kisumu, Kenya. Email: auramulanda@yahoo.com Editor Dr. Chrispine Nyamweya (PhD) Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), P.O. Box 1881-40100, Kisumu, Kenya. Email: sanychris@yahoo.com Editorial Team Chair. Venny Mziri Secretary. Raphael Okeyo Members Nicholas Gichuru Pamela Olela Meggan Kinara. Patroline Manyolo Photo Courtesy: Public relations office, Kisumu Center. Contact Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute Box 1881 Kisumu 40100 Tel. 0770-567443 Email. kmfrikisumucentre@yahoo.com 20