Fish is a delicacy the world over but according to a new report
by FAO, harmful practices and poor
management are a threat to
the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Over the years production
from the sector has been increasing
gradually with the total production in 2012 estimated at
158 million tones.
In Kenya fish farming has gained popularity at the grass
root level. During the tenure of President
Mwai Kibaki, fish farming was promoted within the constituencies under the
economic stimulus program as a way of providing locals with not only an alternative
source of food but also a different source of income.
With the introduction
of counties under the new constitution
that was adopted by the country in 2010,
Governors and other county
leadership have fronted fish
farming in areas where
the meal was not an indigenous
delicacy.
Recently a member of parliament from central Kenya offered
public training on how to
breed and cook fish and some of the constituents ended up
fighting for the pieces that had
been pan-fried.
This attests to
the State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2014 report which show that
most of the growth in the sector
is driven by small scale farming.
Fish now accounts for almost 17 percent of the global
population’s intake of protein -- in some coastal and island countries it can
top 70 percent.
The sector also supports the livelihoods of 10–12 percent of
the world’s population meaning if our water systems are managed well there
is even a greater potential of job
creation.
The report also notes that illegal, unreported and
unregulated (IUU) fishing remains a major threat to marine ecosystems and also
impacts negatively on livelihoods, local economies and food supplies.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish you feed him for life
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