- The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis Esculentus), locally known as Nyamami, has been over-fished and is threatened with extinction.
- Victory Farms is re-introducing the species into the lake to restore its population.
Image: ROBERT OMOLLO
A private fish farm in Homa Bay is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to restore the population of a fish species whose numbers are fast declining in Lake Victoria.
The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis Esculentus), locally known as Nyamami, has been over-fished and is threatened with extinction.
Victory Farms is re-introducing the species into the lake to restore its population.
Nyamami has a deep-bodied, compressed shape. This species is bronze to brownish-gray dorsally and laterally, and white ventrically. It has a truncated caudal fin that has many thin black bands and a pinkish-red posterior margin.
Homa Bay county Aquaculture Business Development Programme coordinator Michael Omondi said Victory Farms intends to culture these fish species in beaches within Kaksingri ward with the help of the Beach Management Units.
There were over 13 species of fish in Lake Victoria, but with environmental changes and other catalysts some of these species have totally disappeared.
"The number of some fish species has reduced to the point of either near extinction or they have probably become extinct. This is because of changes in the environment as well as breeding sites," Omondi said.
Previously, the fisheries department had its focus only on three major commercials: the Nile perch also called the white gold of Kenya, tilapia which was the food security species, and omena (Silver Cyprinids), being used as human food and an ingredient for animal feeds.
However, other fish species, including the lung fish (Kamongo), Labeo Victorianus and the catfish were neglected together with other minor fish species which are also endangered.
"We are now realising that these types of fish are also slowly becoming extinct," he added.
Omondi noted the 2023/2027 County Integrated Development Plan (CIPD) has a provision for the Fisheries Management Plan and was hopeful that it will address this challenge and help restore the endangered fish species.
"This plan will rejuvenate the lake and make it vibrant like before," he added.
Dan Obado, the community relations officer at Victory Farms, said the organisation has acquired a total of 200 brood stock of Nile tilapia from Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute and is moving to populate ponds.
The farm has partnered with Conservation International to initiate a project aimed at sensitising and mobilising the community to identify breeding zones (conservation areas) for the brood stock.
"We are going to do wild stocking within those conservation areas identified by the local BMUs. This is an initiative that will bring back those fish species that are on the verge of extinction and also tackle the dwindling number of wild catch within our lake," the CRO said.
He requested the local BMUs to embrace such kinds of projects, which are meant to increase fish within the waters of Lake Victoria.