Residents of Kadzuhoni in Magarini, Kilifi County, have begun their journey out of poverty after Maseno University and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (Kemfri) reintroduced Artemia farming to produce fish feeds.
The project is under the Artemia Production Technology for Sustainable Aquaculture Development.
The programme is funded by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association.
Artemia is an aquatic insect that thrives in salty water. Farmers will now apply biofloc technology to produce it.
For decades, residents have struggled to earn a living in the salt mines.
Speaking to journalists in Kadzuhoni during training for farmers, Dr Erick Ogello, Maseno University principal investigator in the Department of Fisheries and Natural Resources, said the new biofloc technology will increase the production of Artemia biomass and cysts.
Increase bacteria flocs
“Farmers were producing Artemia, but they died due to lack of food. The new technology will increase bacteria flocs in the ponds for the Artemia to feed on,” he said.
The floc formation is encouraged by local ingredients such as molasses and chicken manure.
Dr Ogello said fish farmers in Kenya face a scarcity of feeds for fingerlings, threatening production.
He added that Artemia is also a component in preparing salt.
“There is no salt without Artemia because that is what makes salt to be of high quality,” said Dr Ogello.
Artemia also produces high-quality cysts that are expensive in the international market.
He said the researchers project to increase Artemia cyst production from the current 15kg to 100kg per hectare in six months.
“A kilogramme of Artemia is sold at $70 (Sh770) in the international market. There is an opportunity to change the poor economic status of the community who do not practice agriculture but depend on the salt mines for a living,” said Dr Ogello.
“Artemia production comes as an alternative source of income for the residents apart from salt production.”
He said Aetemia has existed on the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts for more than three decades.
Dr Maureen Cheserek (left) from Egerton University and Dr Erick Ogello from Maseno University inspecting harvested Artemia in Kadzuhoni, Magarini in Kilifi County.
Not adequately exploited
However, Artemia in Kenya has not been adequately exploited for local aquaculture production.
“The main objective of the project is to improve the livelihoods of coastal communities in Kenya through the establishment of innovative Artemia value chain linkages that involve the production of Artemia biomass and cyst, and application in the emerging larviculture initiatives,” he said.
He added that other products generated through the Artemia value chains include Artemia powder for making baby porridge, Artemia soup and cake.
Kemfri mariculture research scientist Maureen Mukami said Artemia was introduced in the salt ponds in Magarini in 1985 by Belgian scientists from Ghent University in collaboration with researchers from Kemfri.
But the project did not involve the community at that time.
“The eggs of the Artemia introduced in the salt ponds in Magarini were from the San Francisco bay. They are used by fish farmers worldwide to feed fingerlings and any other types of fish because of their small size,” she said.
She said Artemia is also used to feed crabs and prawns.
Ms Mukami said that in 2010, Kemfri, in collaboration with Ghent University, surveyed whether the community was to be involved in Artemia production with the aim of increasing output.
Kemfri purchases a kilo of Artemia from locals for Sh800.
Feeds for fish
“We purchase the Artemia from the farmers then process the feeds to sell to fish farmers,” she said.
She added that the collaboration between Maseno University and Kemfri saw the introduction of the new technology to increase production.
Dr Maureen Cheserek, from Egerton University’s Department of Human Nutrition, said they are collaborating with Maseno University and Kemfri to form a nutrition group to research on the nutritional benefits of Artemia for humans.
“Artemia is not well utilised in our country when it comes to nutrition but it is consumed as food by people in Asian countries,” she said.
Egerton, she said, will research on how Artemia can be used in reducing malnutrition in children and women.
John Sulubu, the chairperson of Kadzuhoni Farmers Self-Help Group, said they started the project in 2011.
“Farmers were trained and sensitised about Artemia farming and we were happy and appreciated the project,” he said.
The support from Kemfri, he said, has seen the group harvest many kilos of Artemia for sale.
“We are now earning money from our harvests, and at this rate, we are going to fight poverty in our area,” he said. BY DAILY NATION