Fish farming development in Kenya started in the 1920s with the arrival of European settlers and was more often then not confined to recreational purposes. Fish culture as a means of producing a source of protein for the rural indigenous population began in the late 1950's and early 1960's. When Kenya became independent in 1963, there was renewed effort in development of fish culture with an emphasis on the Tilapia family of fish.
Fish farming requires a dependable, affordable supply of stocking material. Development of fish farming in Western Kenya began with the construction of Government fish farms which supplied farmers with fingerlings for stocking. Fingerlings were produced at the farms and transported by vehicle, often 4 wheel drive, to the farms. This is an expensive operation where the costs of producing and delivering live fish to several, scattered and remote fish farms were subsidized by the Government. As the rural fish farming industry developed, these Government farms were unable to meet the growing demand for fingerlings. Dependance on a heavily subsidized supply of stocking material for fish farming is not sustainable, and an alternative source of fingerlings is necessary for the development of the fish farming industry.
In 1993, FAO/UNDP Project KEN/86/027, “Development of Small Scale Fish Farming in the Lake Basin Area” trained and equipped 60 small scale fish farmers for Tilapia fingerling production. The project covers 16 different Administrative Districts in Western Kenya. This report covers the preliminary results obtained in Migori District by 16 of these trained farmers in the 15 months following their course.
This paper is primarily addressed to the staff of the project and seeks to identify areas needed for further study, with some suggestions on how these studies should be made.
