From Water To Wallet: Advancing Go Blue Through Aquaculture Technology Refinement

Aquaculture has experienced modest growth, but it still faces significant challenges such as low-quality fingerlings, substandard feeds, limited technical knowledge, and high production costs. As a result, sustainable mechanisms need to be developed to reduce production costs, improve farmers’ entrepreneurial skills, and promote sustainable aquaculture systems and technologies. Our project is part of the Go Blue Programme, launched by the European Union and the Government of Kenya in 2021 to advance the Blue Economy Agenda through coastal development.

We are implementing the project on behalf of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), working closely with Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) and relevant government ministries at a national level.

Our goal is to contribute to the economic development of coastal Kenya’s Blue Economy in an inclusive, integrated, participatory, and sustainable manner, by developing aquaculture value chains. Specifically, we aim to enhance the technical and business skills of the relevant aquaculture value chain stakeholders and upscale/improve critical Aquaculture infrastructure in four value chains: Tilapia, mud crab, milkfish/prawns, and aquaponics.

Our project will train and link 230 selected (fish-) farm MSMEs, including 30 community mariculture groups, and reach one of the four following indicators for each beneficiary: 10% staff increase, access to a value chain, or meeting sector-specific standards. We are committed to achieving our goals and contributing to sustainable aquaculture practices and economic development in coastal Kenya.