Fish and fish farming is slowly being accepted in Nyeri County as school pupils get to know more about it in a programme aimed at changing the fish-eating culture and improving their nutrition.
The campaign, dubbed ‘Eat More Fish’, jointly funded by the County Department of Agriculture, the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is a way of changing their perceptions to accept fish as part of their diet through the school feeding programme.
Speaking at Gitunduti Primary School where she monitored lessons on fish farming, county coordinator Maureen Gathigia said the programme is being piloted in four schools in Nyeri as well as 54 others in other counties within Mt Kenya region.
“The projects started mid last year when four primary schools in the county were identified and subsequently supplied with fish pond liners, fingerlings, fish feed and aquaculture support to start off the project. Besides Nyeri, ABDP also started similar projects in 54 other primary schools in the Mount Kenya region,” she said.
She added that equipping the pupils with fish rearing skills at an early age will improve fish consumption in Central, which is currently low.
“For a long time in Central region, fish farming and consumption has been hampered by the fact that many people believe fish has a bad odour. By starting this project in schools, we want to undo this and ensure pupils can engage in fish farming once out of school besides consuming this delicacy,” she said.
Gathigia stated that currently, the county is encountering challenges in fish marketing. However, they have secured funds to set up fish markets and kiosks in Nyeri town.
According to the sub-county fisheries officer Lazarus Mutiso, the Eat More Fish campaign will also spread into the community.
“… We have also proposed that the schools sell the surplus harvest to the neighbouring community. This approach will not only increase fish consumption but also generate funds to support the fish farming project,” he said.
The school head teacher James Mbatia said the introduction of fish farming in the institution has changed his pupils’ perception and are now ready not just to farm but also eat the fish.
“In the past these pupils did not know fish farming. They also did not know that fish is a source of protein essential to their bodies, but now they know,” Mbatia said.
By Macharia Kiarie
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