WorldFish launches US$10M genetically improved tilapia project in Kenya

KENYA – A major US$10 million (approx. KES 1.3 billion) aquaculture initiative has kicked off in Kenya, aiming to boost fish farming with genetically improved strains of tilapia in five Lake Victoria-bordering counties.

Launched in May by the international nonprofit WorldFish, the Climate-Resilient Aquaculture (CASA) project aims to help thousands of small-scale farmers in Homa Bay, Busia, Kakamega, Migori, and Kisii counties adopt high-performing tilapia breeds. 

The five-year program is designed to enhance productivity, increase climate resilience, and boost profitability in Kenya’s aquaculture sector.

“CASA will reach 4,000 farmers with more than 150 million improved tilapia seed over the five years of the project, and it will develop the long-term infrastructure to produce and deliver more than 100 million improved fish seed annually in Kenya,” CASA Project Lead Josephat Nyongesa said in an interview with SeafoodSource.

Financed equally by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Qatar Fund for Development, each contributing US$5 million (approx. EUR 4.4 million), CASA aims to support Kenya’s ambitious goal of tripling its national fish production from the current 147,000 metric tons to 450,000 metric tons by 2030.

“The project will be implemented through private-public partnerships with farmers getting support through capacity-building and training … and [connections] to financial institutions,” Nyongesa said.

The targeted counties were selected for their proximity to Lake Victoria, where demand for fish outpaces supply and most production is consumed locally. 

According to Nyongesa, the improved tilapia strains are ideal for these regions as they “are very resilient and more climate-friendly, resulting in their widespread use in successful small- and medium-scale farming systems.”

He added that genetically improved tilapia can dramatically increase efficiency and output. “Compared to other strains, [genetically improved tilapia] benefits include increasing productivity by up to 200 percent, a faster growth rate of at least 30 percent, improved feed conversion, higher survival rates, adaptability to a wide range of environmental conditions and production systems, higher profitability, and more cost-effectiveness,” he said.

Continued regional support

In addition to the CASA initiative, WorldFish is supporting a regional breeding program involving seven Southern African Development Community (SADC) nations, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Comoros, to enhance native tilapia species through selective breeding of wild stocks.

“Enhancing these indigenous species is crucial for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation in southern Africa,” WorldFish Strategic Communications Specialist David Wardell told SeafoodSource in September 2024.

Through these combined efforts, WorldFish aims to reshape aquaculture across the continent, making it more sustainable, resilient, and productive for generations to come.

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