The government has started an aquaculture project in Homa Bay to reduce illegal fishing and overfishing in Lake Victoria.
The Aquaculture Business Development Programme aims to help farmers to produce fish in ponds to reduce over-reliance on Lake Victoria.
The Ministry of Agriculture has started with distributing fish pond liners to farmers who already have ponds.
Agriculture CAS Jebii Kilimo, Fisheries PS Japheth Ntiba and Homa Bay Agriculture executive Aguko Juma distributed the liners to 40 farmers in Homa Bay town on Thursday.
The liners are laid in a pond to prevent the water from seeping into the soil.
“The project is meant to boost the livelihoods of rural farmers from poor households. Fish pond farming is an important economic venture that will uplift living standards of many households,” Kilimo said.
She said the programme is part of the government’s agenda to improve the health of residents, through enhanced nutrition.
Ntiba urged the Homa Bay government to incorporate aquaculture in its budget.
“The national government is supporting the project to kick off. Homa Bay government should allocate funds in its annual budget to ensure its sustainability,” he said.
Ntiba urged fishermen to stop illegal fishing in Lake Victoria.
“Let fishermen stop catching fish that are under-size because this will lead to the extinction of many fish species in the lake,” he said.
Juma said fish pond farming will ease the pressure on Lake Victoria.
He urged farmers to insure their ponds. “We lost a farmer in Karachuonyo after his fish were [carried away] by floods,” Juma said.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
