Status of fish health management and biosecurity measures in fish farms, cages and hatcheries in western Kenya.

Abstract

Aquaculture is one of the critical sectors contributing to food and nutrition security, income and employment opportunities to millions of people and is currently the fastest growing food-producing sector globally. With the global increase in aquaculture production, focus on biosecurity and fish health management is becoming increasingly important to address the risks and impacts of aquatic diseases. Within the framework of adaptive research, this study aimed at assessing the levels of awareness and preparedness of fish farmers in Western Kenya to meet fish health management and biosecurity requirements as important parameters determining the success of their farming activities. A total of 243 fish farmers were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire generated by a computer-aided personal interview (CAPI). The key findings were that 76.1% of the fish farmers reported mortalities in their farms, with 2.3% reporting mortalities above 50% of the stocked fish, but with a majority 85.5% reporting loss of up to 10%. In extrapolation, the total loss from the farms correlates with stagnation in aquaculture production in Kenya. This study recommends the development of a coordinated awareness campaigns on fish health management and biosecurity measures to fish farmers in Kenya.