Kenyans not eating enough fish

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The amount of fish Kenya is consuming is still lower than expected./COURTESY

Kenyans are not consuming enough fish.

This is according to Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya.

While appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, CS Mvurya said the government is looking into different projects like introducing fish in school meals to increase fish consumption.

“As a nation, we need to discuss our fish consumption. If you look at the global and international expectations, we are not yet there. The global expectation is 20kg per capita, Africa should be about 10kg per capita, but Kenya we are doing around 3kg per capita which is very low,” said CS Mvurya.

Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, Principal Secretary Betsy Muthoni Njagi with members of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries members./COURTESY

Mvurya also said the ministry is looking at aquaponics as a way of encouraging fish consumption.

“We also want to use any forum to sensitize people on renewed fish-eating behavior, we might even target schools, so in the next few years we might have an improvement in fish consumption,” said the Blue Economy CS.

Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya when he appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries./COURTESY
Construction of Landing Sites

The government is planning on building the capacity of fishermen to delve into deepsea fishing.

According to CS Mvurya, the capacity building will be done through training and the provision of modern fishing equipment.

For fishermen to fully benefit from the fish, the Blue Economy Ministry will also be constructing several landing sites to help in preservation and processing.

“We have zoned areas in the Indian Ocean from Lamu to Kwale and identified critical landing sites. We want the sites to have cold storage and other equipment that can enhance value addition,” said CS Mvurya.

“I think this is something that we are doing with the county governments and other partners but we are deliberately inspiring the private sector to also invest in those kinds of infrastructure,” he added.

CS Mvurya said the government is aiming to make sure those landing points become the first area of value addition.

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