The Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) has developed programmes to spearhead blue economy activities in its area of jurisdiction.
LBDA Managing Director (MD) Wycliffe Ochiaga said the initiative targets to address gaps in the sector and scale up fish production.
The programmes target fingerling production, fish feed production, and farmer’s training to regenerate interest in the sector.
Ochiaga said LBDA, through its fingerling production centre in Kisumu, will offer training to farmers on fish production to ensure they produce enough to meet the rising demand.
“As LBDA, we come in very handy because we have a fingerling production centre which produces more than Sh10 million fingerlings annually,” he said.
The high cost of fish feeds, he added, continues to deter farmers in the area from fish farming, adding that LBDA plans to make use of the by-products from its rice mill to manufacture feeds.
Speaking during a blue economy stakeholders meeting at Kisumu National Polytechnic, Ochiaga said the agency was seeking partnerships with other organisations to scale up blue economy activities in the region.
“We are going to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with these organisations so that we commit to what each party is going to do,” he said.
LBDA covers Kisumu Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Kericho, Nakuru, Bomet, Baringo, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, West Pokot, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
On the water hyacinth menace in Lake Victoria, the MD said LBDA has partnered with Kenya Shipyards Limited (KSL) to remove the weed from the lake.
“The biggest challenge is that the weed is seasonal, but we are now cleaning the lake and releasing it to those who can make gains from it,” he said.
By Chris Mahandara
