The Netherlands Embassy in Kenya and the Turkana County government have committed to a partnership that will maximize the potential of Lake Turkana.
The Netherlands Embassy has been carrying out Economic Analysis Research in Lake Turkana both in Turkana and Marsabit Counties since last year that seeks to assess opportunities in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Speaking during a courtesy call to the county Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus, First Secretary, Food & Nutrition Security, Water and Climate at the Embassy, Pim Vander Male, said the research has opened many opportunities for partnership with Turkana County in a bid to grow the sector sustainably.
“This is a start of a process of partnership building that is economically viable and sustainable,” Male said.
He said the Embassy will continue engaging Netherland University for more research in future in order to make Lake Turkana bring economic value to Turkana and Marsabit Counties.
Experts estimate the fish output from Lake Turkana is around 23,000MT annually. According to research, it is estimated that 75% of the catch is consumed locally and within the Lake Turkana region.
The other 25% is transported outside the County, and with connection to new markets, regional export is increasing rapidly with an estimated 3,200 MT exported out of Kenya.
The Deputy Governor expressed his appreciation to the Netherlands Embassy for taking lead in carrying out Fisheries Research in Lake Turkana, while finding the untapped opportunities that the local fisher folk and partners can exploit for robust economic growth in the sector.
“As we look for opportunities for collaboration and partnership, the Netherlands Embassy and other partners can consider investing in aquaculture, where there is significant potential of metric tonnes of fish for both subsistence and commercial purposes. Lake Turkana has the potential for this,” said Dr.Erus.
He noted that training of fisher folk communities, access to better gears will make the fish farming activity more profitable, while making the sector more sustainable.
The deputy governor said continuous research in partnership with the Kenyan Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) along Lake Turkana is an essential ingredient for developing new fish farming ideas and knowledge sharing for sustainable growth.
However, he challenged partners in the sector to desist from fishing undersized fish along the shallower parts of the lake, which is often used for the fish to spawn.
By Peter Gitonga
