The conclusions and recommendations of the mission have been presented earlier, both for fish farming development (Sec. 3.5) and for capture fisheries development (Sec. 4.6) in the Lake Basin. It now appears as if the only strong assistance to be available for fisheries development in the Lake Basin is the World Bank assisted project. This project consists of three main aspects, fish farming development (Sec. 3.3.5), capture fishery development (Sec. 4.5.4), and management/monitoring/evaluation in the fishery. For this last aspect, qualified statisticians will be available.
When comparing the identified problems actually facing the Lake Basin fishery with the objectives of the World Bank assistance, a series of gaps may be defined, for which further assistance may be required.
As far as capture fisheries in the Lake Basin are concerned, there are three areas of particular immediate interest:
5.1.1 Improvement of the statistical system for the collection of catch data on Lake Victoria. As discussed in Sec. 4.6.2, such assistance has been requested to FAO, on a regional basis (CIFA, 1982).
5.1.2 Development of Lake Victoria fishing cooperatives. The short-term assistance planned by NORDIC in this area might be withdrawn, although there appears to be a definite need for support (Sec. 4.6.3). But the impact of such a project would undoubtedly be greater if the FAO concept of “Fishery Community Centres” could be integrated with Fishing Cooperatives development and if the future assistance would be planned on a longer-term basis.
5.1.3 Development of man-made lake fisheries. As several reservoirs will be created in the Lake Basin, assistance for the planning and for the implementation of the development of their capture fishery should be provided. Past experience elsewhere in Africa has shown that the planning for such fishery development has a much more positive impact, if it can be done at the time when the construction of the dam is being planned or at the latest during dam construction, before the first filling of the reservoir.
Fish farming has a rather long history in the Lake Basin where it provides fish proteins to the inland population. The DOF World Bank assisted project will establish a Fish Farming Development Centre near Kisumu. This centre will introduce new valuable fish species, will provide research/training facilities, and in general will support future regional fish farming development. But some complementary assistance is required to take full benefit of this project, as well as to contribute to a more rapid and more intense development of fish production in the two most densely populated provinces of Kenya. There are four areas where further assistance is required:
5.2.1 Rural small-scale fish farming development, producing fresh fish in the highly populated inland areas away from the existing commercialisation paths of Lake Victoria fish, and providing the possibility of an additional income to the poorest sections of the rural population (Sec. 3.5.1).
5.2.2 Pilot intensive tank production of tilapia, demonstrating the possibility of increasing the fish supply of a traditionally fish-eating population, in warm areas where land availability is steadily decreasing and where fish protein requirements cannot be satisfied neither today nor in the future (Sec. 3.5.2b).
5.2.3 Integration of fish farming with irrigation schemes, through the cultivation of fish in irrigated plots (either in combination or in rotation with the agricultural crop) and in the main irrigation channels, using floating cages (Sec. 3.5.2c and d).
5.2.4 Fish farming development in lakes, through the use of floating cages and bay enclosures, as a complementary fishery development.
Most of the above proposed assistance projects depend on the prior implementation of the DOF/World Bank project and proposed assistance would be complementary to its realisation. Cooperative development for example should preferably coincide with the planned expansion/upgrading of the shore facilities and the training of personnel. The improvement of the Lake Victoria statistical system could be part of the definition of the project monitoring/evaluation system to be established by specialized personnel. Fish farming projects 5.2.2, 5.2.3 and 5.2.4 should also rely on the Fish Farming Development Centre for trained personnel, feasibility studies, fish feeds and broodstock or stocking material.
As a first priority, the mission feels that immediate assistance should be provided for the development of rural small-scale fish farming in the Lake Basin, as such a project may be successfully implemented right away. As discussed earlier (Sec. 3.3), it would assist the Government of Kenya to resolve an urgent and important problem. It would also pave the way for similar rural fish farming developments in other regions of the country. It should further act as a development catalyst, coordinating the assistance of various bilateral and multinational aids interested in such achievements.
In conclusion, the mission recommends the financing and the immediate implementation (1983–1986) of an assistance project for the “Development of small-scale fish farming in the Lake Basin”.
Following discussions held with UNDP/Kenya, it has become evident that this agency will not be able to finance a full-scale project in 1983 and 1984, the necessary funds being however available for the next two years. It was therefore agreed that (i) a complementary financial assistance should be sought to enable preliminary activities to take place in 1983; and (ii) the UNDP project could start in late 1983, the funds saved during that year being carried forward to enable the project to be fully operational in 1984 and to continue during 1985 and 1986 without limitation.
On these bases, two separate assistance proposals have been drafted. The first proposal defines the complementary financial aid needed for the local training of the junior and senior extension personnel who will implement the follow-up fish farming development programme (Annex 5). The second proposal is specifically addressed to UNDP for the “Development of small-scale fish farming in the Lake Basin” in 1983–1986 (Annex 6).
