Capacity building on risk assessment cage aquaculture including carrying capacity of water bodies,
regulation & permit systems etc. Cage aquaculture is generally considered to be one of the most
promising ways for the development of industrial-scale fresh water aquaculture in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Many of the large fresh water lakes, such as Lake Victoria have year round suitable temperatures for
the production of Tilapia. In the Ugandan part of Lake Victoria cage aquaculture is practised since
2006.
At present Source of the Nile (SON) manages a commercial farm with an annual production of 1800-
2000 MT. In Kenya, a small size cage unit had been established by Dominion Farms, but at present
this company only operates a land based Tilapia farm. In Tanzania, experimental cage farming started
in 2013. Based on the present study it is expected that cage farming in Lake Victoria could reach
10,000 MT within 5 years from now. Also in Rwanda cage farming is expected to increase (Lake Kivu
and other lakes). However, large scale development of cage culture involves also a number of risks,
these include water pollution. Pollution can be controlled if the number of cages (or the amount of
feed used) does not surpass the carrying capacity of the lake. At present governments are struggling
with the legislation and permits system for cage aquaculture. There is a clear lack of understanding of
the ecological impact of cage farming and the instruments that governments could use to regulate a
sustainable development of cage culture. Therefore capacity building in this area is urgently needed.
Sustainable intensive fish farming for small holders. FTA aims to improve food security in East Africa
through the establishment of a fully integrated aquaculture value chain. The initial focus is on fish feed
and the construction of a sustainable Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) farm. However, this
technology is not immediately accessible by small holders due to the high capital and technological
requirements. A simplified design using a modular approach based on existing local conditions could
make RAS technology affordable and manageable by small holders. It is therefore recommended to
develop, through a feasibility study and pilot project, such a small scale RAS unit.
Quality control fish feeds. Fish feeds currently available in Eastern Africa differ greatly in quality.
Information on the label does not reflect the actual composition in terms of proteins and fats. This is
not only a problem for fish farmers who are not sure of the quality of the feed that they are
purchasing, but is also a limiting factor for Dutch companies that supply high quality feeds to Africa
(level playing field). Governments in the EAC should establish a common fish feed quality monitoring
and control system.
Policy influencing. Import taxes on fish feeds and feed ingredients are a constraint for aquaculture
development in the EAC in absence of locally produced high quality starter and grow-out feeds. EAC
governments should be encouraged to (temporarily) reduce import duties on high quality fish feeds.
Implement concerted Food Security program focussed on Aquaculture. To address the above issues in
an integrated and regionally coordinated manner, we suggest to implement a locally-managed food
security program which, in close cooperation with the Royal Dutch Embassy in Kenya and Rwanda and
with the concerned governmental institutions. This program will aim to replace the predominant
practice of subsistence aquaculture production with an economically viable, safe and environmentally
friendly approach towards production, marketing and processing of cultured fish products. Through
this program aquaculture will significantly contribute to food security, with viable models for domestic
production and supply of affordable, nutritious and safe animal-based products. With the development
and testing of these models, the program will contribute towards higher income levels of smallholder
aquaculture farmers in the East African region, including demand and supply solutions and improved
access to affordable and safe animal protein products among urban consumers. The programme will
deliver outputs in relation to improved (smallholder) aquaculture production practices, increased
consumer awareness on food safety and quality, improved aquaculture production, processing &
marketing standards, and improved collaboration between supply chain partners and public sector
support organisations, with focus on food security.
As well as fish, imported fish feed from outside the EAC is charged with an import duty (20%). This
restriction is not imposed between the EAC countries. The import duty on feed will encourage local
feed manufacturing (within the EAC), but is presently a constraint in absence of locally produced high
quality starter and grow-out feeds.
2.3 Conclusions & Recommendations
Aquaculture across the countries concerned is a modest industry, and at the present speed of
development cannot cope with the expected strong increase in demand for fish and fish products.
Therefore, considerable effort is required in order to accelerate the development of aquaculture in the
EAC. Among the main bottlenecks are the availability of high quality feed, access to investment and
running capital, knowledge for sustainable high productive fish culture systems, and good quality
fingerlings. A coordinated approach involving different public and private actors in the EAC region and
from the Netherlands is essential in order to realize the aquaculture potential in the EAC. In table 2
bottlenecks and proposed actions are being listed from a Dutch perspective (business situation and
available governmental support). The table also indicates where business opportunities are for Dutch
companies.
