Aquaculture Business Development Programme-Kisumu County

ABDP wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year 2026!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Kisumu's turn to host the IFAD/ GoK mission

Kisumu county received a grant amount of Ksh. 7.4M that will go a long way in empowering our SAGs, AFS and ASEs and strengthening their capacity during the ABDP grant Launch in Kakamega county.

Harbor of prosperity

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Our independence from hunger and poverty is through Sustainable Aquaculture for income and food and nutrition security

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1. Pond Siting, Design and Construction – Ensure proper pond siting, the right pond design and correct construction. As the rule of the thumb, an excavated pond must have uniform gentle slopes and high, wide, strong d***s. Every pond be it an excavated or raised pond should also have a definite shape with equal diagonals.
2. Feeding and manure application – Fish should be fed at least twice a day with the right feeds (commercial, own formulation, live feeds or leafy supplements). Earthen ponds (pond without liners) need to be fertilized weekly to maintain a green color indicating natural fish food.
3. Temperature – Fish should only be fed when the temperature is conducive. Avoid shade and weeds in or around the pond. Tilapia, Catfish and most ornamental fish species grow faster in warmer waters with the optimum temperatures being 28-32oc
4. Water quality and quantity - Maintain correct water levels of 75cm to 150cm and avoid flow-through by closing the in-let once the desired water level is attained. Observe water quality by waste management and avoid contaminants like agrochemicals, soaps, oils and run-offs.
5. Security and predator control - Fencing off the fish pond is important in order to avoid accidental drowning of children and domestic animals. Ensure a lockable entrance to the pond area to control fish poaching. Prevent predation and deal with any predators promptly once sighted to avoid unnecessary losses. Fencing off the pond also helps to keep out animals that can damage the d***s and pond liners. If possible, surround the pond with fine wire mesh, polythene or netting material at least 1m high along pond fence to keep off crawling animals and a bird cover net overhead (or at the d**e level) to keep off birds.
6. Pond Sanitation and liming - Scoop out any fallen foreign objects and remove any submerged or floating weeds. Weeds deplete water through accelerated evapotranspiration (during the day). Weeds also deplete dissolved oxygen (at night) and nutrients meant for fish. Ensure timely repair of broken fences or eroded d***s and replace worn-out drainage pipes and screening nets at the in-let and out-let. etc. Pond liming has a direct correlation with yields. After a complete harvest, it is advisable to completely drain the pond, apply 200g/m2 of agricultural lime all over the pond bottom, slopes and d***s. After 2 days, add water and wait for 2 weeks for the pH to stabilize before stocking. Please note that liming disinfects the pond, improves pH and raises levels of planktons due to increased dissolved oxygen.
7. Stocking density - Ensure the correct stocking density of 3-4 fish/m3 and always avoid overpopulating the fish pond because it leads to stunted growth in fish or fish deaths due to decreased oxygen, increased wastes and increased harmful nitrites. Higher stocking densities are only reserved for Intensive Aquaculture which is a different ball game altogether. Overstocking is mostly associated with greedy fingerlings suppliers who masquerade as “experts”. It results in inevitable losses to gullible farmers who are duped into overstocking.
8. Fish Handling - Fish handling during stocking, sampling, harvesting etc should be done during cool hours of the day preferably early in the morning. Care should be taken to avoid causing unnecessary stress to fish thro’ seining too many times in one day or holding the fish out of water for too long. This often leads to fish deaths. Fish are delicate; handle with care.
9. Record Keeping - Always maintain proper records. ABDP has designed detailed yet simplified record forms that are available for fish farmers. This will ensure a shift from business as usual to business unusual.
10. Compliance with the Competent Authority - In all matters fisheries, the authorized Competent Authority is Fisheries Technical Staff. Any wrong advice from other “experts” be they professors, investors, impressers or imposters can lead to disastrous outcomes. Adherence to the recommendations from Fisheries Officers is very important. Knowledge is power. Get the right knowledge from the right source.