After the successful VicInAqua project meeting end of January in Kisumu, Kenya, Julian Mamo and Kyra Hoevenaars (AquaBioTech, Malta) accompanied by Joyce Okwara and Susan Clare Adhiambo (DALF, Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya) visited Pioneer Fish Farm, located in the village of Maseno one hour from Kisumu centre. The purpose of the visit was to gain knowledge on the local aquaculture practices and use it in designing the VicInAqua pilot by adapting it to local conditions.
Edwin Muthike, manager of the farm, was very welcoming and showed the VicInAqua team around while explaining their methods and answering questions. The farm produces African catfish and Nile tilapia fry as well as market size tilapia: 100,000 all-male tilapia fry per month of which they sell a large portion to on-growers, and catfish fingerlings only by order.
The fish farm houses two Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), which are used in the larval rearing and broodstock sections. One of the RAS is a small aquaponics unit, meaning that the effluent water of the fish tanks is used to grow leafy vegetables, while the vegetables filter the nutrients from the water.
The tilapia breeders are kept in large ponds at a ratio of four females to one male. The eggs are incubated in a small outdoor hatchery using glass jars. After the larvae hatch, they are stocked in concrete nursery troughs and provided with aeration. They are kept there until 0.5-1 gram. Part of the fry is stocked in their grow-out ponds while the remaining fry are sold to their clients. The fry are transported in plastic bags to the grow-out farms.
The VicInAqua team also presented our project and invited the management of the farm to join the VicInAqua Core Group, in order to involve Pioneer Fish Farm representatives to future VicInAqua events. By working with local fish farms and other stakeholders, VicInAqua will raise awareness, and facilitate capacity building and knowledge transfer among the local population regarding RAS systems and water reuse. The project is co-financed by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 689427.
