Africa’s population is growing and needs to be fed. But the yield of fish from seas, rivers and lakes is falling. Skills and knowledge can be exported from the Netherlands to build a productive aquaculture sector in Africa. There are opportunities for Dutch businesses here, and it can help solve the problem of food demand.
This was the conclusion reached by LEI and IMARES after a visit to Kenya. The findings are set out in the report Business opportunities for aquaculture in Kenya; With special reference to food security. This task was carried out at the request of the Dutch embassy in Nairobi, and the members of the team were accompanied by Jan van Rijsingen, one of the major players in the Dutch aquaculture sector. This close cooperation between educational institutions and people working in the relevant field is a feature of the 'Golden Triangle': cooperation between government, science and the private sector, with strong support from the Dutch food-producing sector. Minister Verhagen has said that the agrifood sector is one of the nine key sectors.
Internationalisation is a high priority for this sector. The Netherlands wants to take a leading global position in the area of sustainable, innovative and efficient food production with high added value. This policy makes us an attractive partner for customised local food production systems. Fish farming, or aquaculture, is a good example of this. In addition to supplying food, it offers employment and reduces pressure on wild fishing grounds.
Demand for fish is rising in Kenya, but production is lagging behind, mainly because production is currently on too small a scale and the chain needs to be better organised. Researchers expect that a well-designed and sustainable system for farming catfish will enable Kenyan fish production to increase dramatically, so that the country’s rapidly-growing and increasingly urban population can be supplied with high-quality food.