Kenyan coast region has high aquaculture potential, artemia breeding - Marine expert

This proud fisherman in Mombasa shows his catch. There is a huge fishing potential at the Coast province

The Kenyan coast has a high aquaculture potential high a Belgian fisheries expert has said.

Professor Patrick Sorgeloos of the Artemia Reference Centre, University of Ghent, Belgium while visiting the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) recently singled out brine shrimp called artemia- a nutritious small, soft-bodied crustacean as a major investment.

“With adequate availability of artemia for use in the aquaculture hatcheries, milkfish and crabs can be farmed commercially in the coast region,” said Sorgeloos said when he toured KMFRI’s Artemi project in Gongoni, Malindi.

“There’s a captive market for the two fisheries at the coast”, added the professor, who is renown worldwide for his contribution to research and development of aquaculture.

In an online news release the research institute says artemia and its eggs which can be harvested and stored for several years act as a highly nutritious and a major substitute for the natural plankton diet for fish and shrimp fingerlings in aquaculture facilities worldwide.

“It occurs worldwide in natural highly salty lakes, ponds and lagoons which makes it convenient, largely due to its general availability, nutritional quality, and ease and versatility of use,” the statement says.

KEFRI’s aquaculture program coordinator, Dr. Betty Nyonje also added that artemia can be raised in man-operated solar salt-works since their proper population management will benefit farmers by increasing production and quality of salt.

“Artemia filters out the phytoplanktons, which when in excessive amounts lead to smaller and lower quality salt crystals. Its presence therefore leads to bigger and better quality salt crystals,” Nyonje said.

The institute’s their Malindi artemia project is set to be commercial by producing the shrimp for aquaculture industry locally and internationally.

“Several individuals, groups, and salt companies in the coast are gearing themselves to engage in the production of the Artemia cysts and/or biomass as a business venture to improve their livelihoods,” it said.

The Artemia project is a Belgian Interuniversity Council (VLIR) funded project, being implemented through a tripartite partnership between the KMFRI, Ghent University of Belgium and Can Tho University of Vietnam.

During Sorgeloos’ visit he was accompanied by the Belgian Ambassador to Kenya Bart Ouvry and KMFRI’s Deputy Director in-charge of inland waters research, Dr. Enock Wakwabi among others.

Manuel Odeny ©2013

Sewerage, fertilizer pollution choking River Galana – KMFRI

Fishermen pushing their boat at River Galana which passes through Tsavo East National park. Research shows pollution is affecting the river. 

River Galana in Coast region of Kenya is highly polluted following a direct input of sewerage and fertilizer into the river, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) research has said.

The finding follows a research carried by KMFRI in the river following complains by the management of Galana ADC farm regarding the water quality and recurrence of algae blooms in their farms for the last two years after using the water.

Researchers carried out investigation by analyzing samples collected in sites like Darajani in Galana ADC ranch, Sala gate and Tsavo East National Park.

“The results showed high levels of E. coli bacteria which pointed to discharge of raw sewerage into the water system and high levels of phosphates, nitrates and ammonia which can be attributed to use of fertilizers in agricultural activities upstream,” the research institute said in a press release.

Dr. Joseph Kamau, KMFRI’s researcher and Edward Waiyaki, a socio-economist say the pollution will affect fish population in the river, create scarcity of clean drinking water which will cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach ailments among the community members which could directly be linked to the E. coli bacteria.

“Algae blooms occur as a result of excessive input of nutrients into the aquatic system from human activities with some species certain usually attaching themselves to the fish gills and thus compete for oxygen”, said Dr. Kamau.

Although the finding couldn’t attribute to any recorded fish kills as a result of harmful algae bloom but it says its high level can kill fish due to suffocation especially in instances where there are low levels of dissolved oxygen in water.

“We recommend interventions in prudent agricultural practices by creating buffer zones between farms and river banks, treatment of sewerage before discharge into the rivers and creating public awareness to enable the community take precautions to avoid health complications,” KMFRI says.

To further protect River Galana aquatic life KMFRI says it will embark on a comprehensive research upstream to determine the points of release of the identified inputs and advise the relevant government agencies to enforce the relevant laws and ensure sound management.

© Manuel Odeny, 2012

Researchers use mobile phones to show map of malaria spread

A pioneer mobile phone research to map the spread of malaria in the country has shown the disease is moving from danger zones like Lake Victoria and Coast areas to central highlands like Nairobi.

Carried out between June 2008 and June 2009 researchers from Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Harvard School of Public Health and six other institutions said the findings can be used to fight malaria in the country.

“The analysis provided in the journal ‘Science’ shows how we might use this information to mitigate and prepare areas subjected to the highest imported infection risk like Nairobi,” Dr Abdisalan Noor from KEMRI says.

The research mapped every call or text made by each of 14, 816, 521 Kenyan mobile phone subscribers to one of 11, 920 cell towers located in 692 different settlements and every time an individual left his or her primary settlement, the destination and duration of each journey was calculated.

This way the research didn’t factor only on information about the location of mosquitoes that carry malaria parasite but also behavior of people who can be infected through resident's probability of being infected and the daily probability that visitors travelling to particular areas would become infected.

An online press release by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) says the study enabled the researchers to build a map of parasite movements between 'source' areas like coast and lake Victoria area which mostly emit disease, and 'sink' areas like Nairobi, which mostly receive disease.

"As Kenya begins to succeed in reducing malaria transmission in some areas but not others, cell-phone mapping of human movement between high and low-risk regions becomes a valuable planning tool," Professor Bob Snow, KEMRI-University of Oxford-Wellcome Trust Collaborative Programme said.

"Since many infected people have no symptoms, they can unintentionally carry the parasite during their travels and infect hundreds of others," he adds.

Lead researcher Prof Caroline Buckee who is an HSPH assistant professor of epidemiology, say the pioneer research through the geographic spread of the disease will understand the spread of malaria to improve traditional approaches to malaria control, which involve focusing on reducing disease in particular areas, are not sufficient.

USAID official training locals on net use

“The information available from this research will help public health officials decide where and how to control imported cases of malaria. For instance, official could send text message warning to the phones of people travelling to high risk areas, suggesting that they use a bed net,”  Prof Buckee says.

According to Buckee, Kenya was chosen as the subject of this study because its level of malaria prevalence is very geographically varied, it has excellent data on the disease’s spread, and nearly all Kenyans have cell phones.

The same method of harnessing mobile data was copied from Haiti to map how people where moving around after earth quake.

Malaria kills about 1 million people each year and threatens 40 million globally. Of those affected, 95 per cent are children under five in sub-Saharan Africa, report said.

© Manuel Odeny,  2012

Dubai based Jumeirah Restaurants serving South Asia cuisine enters Kenya, East Africa market

Kenyan hotel and tourism industry have got a new player after the Dubai based Jumeirah Restaurants signed a licensing agreement with Global Hotels Management Africa to bring the Noodle House brand in the market..

The deal will see seven Noodle House Restaurants opening in the country over the next five years with the first opening it’s door in Nairobi early next year followed by a location in 2013 followed by a location in Mombasa

The move is set to tap into the Kenya tourism market through the Noodle House brabd which already operated in 16 countries globally.

The entry follows an agreement signed between Phil Broad, Managing Director of Jumeirah Restaurants LLC, and Masood Hashim, CEO of Global Hotels Management Africa Ltd.

In a press statement the two companies say the agreement will be key in growing the Noodle House brand in Kenya and East Africa region and has been urged as a response to a growing demand for great quality restaurants in the market and that the noodle house sits perfectly in the casual dining segment of the territory.

Noodle House serves delicious South East Asian cuisine in an informal yet stylish environment that takes inspiration from the food and nightlife of exciting cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok and Jakarta.

"I have had the pleasure of experiencing Kenya on numerous occasions and we are excited about taking the noodle house brand to this dynamic country. The partnership with Global Hotels Management Africa Ltd is another significant step forward in the implementation of our international growth strategy,” Phil Broad said.

Broad added that the collaboration will provide the Dubai based hotel with an opportunity for its worldwide expansion plans of their home-grown brand since Global Hotels is the perfect partner to develop and operate the brand in Kenya.

Masood Hashim CEO of Global Hotels Africa LLC said that they are excited to take Noodle House brabd to East Africa through Kenya as there is achance for, “significant growth opportunities in Kenya and the noodle house fits in extremely well with our planned growth strategy.”

Hashim says they have previously worked with Jumeirah Restaurants on other projects and have been delighted with the strong support that they have provided to open and operate this wonderful brand.

The Dubai based luxury hospitality company which is owned by Dubai Holding was started in United Arabs Emirate since 2002 and now operates in eight countries globally and is set also enter Russia, Lebanon, Great Britain, and Bahrain.

© Manuel Odeny, 2012

Tana River violence: Apart from Godhana three other politicians are involved- HRW

Police officers at a scene of tribal clashes in Tana River, HRW says four politicians are involved in the clash over internicine tribal clashes.

The Human Rights Watch, an international watchdog, has called on the government to investigate and prosecute all persons responsible in the Tana River violence.

In an online statement HRW said that apart from Galole MP Dhadho Godhana who was arrested last Wednesday in connection to the violence and sacked as Assistant Minister in Ministry of Livestock Development, there are at least three other politicians involved.

“(Our) research indicates that at least three other politicians may have been involved in inciting or organizing the violence…. and that the police and local administration in Tana River failed to respond to reports from residents over the past six months that violence could be imminent,” it says.

In the statement HRW criticizes the Police for failing to provide adequate security as revenger attacks continue and call on them “to investigate and prosecute all those potentially responsible for crimes, no matter how high-level they are.”

The call comes after President Mwai Kibaki met Coast MPs and said the government will be harsh on politicians who are inciting Kenyans against each other in ethnic lines.

HRW says it carried out research in Tana River in late August and early September to the Tana River clashes which started on 22 last month at Riketa village before September 7, 10 and 11 revenge attacks that have so far claimed 110 lives and displaced 6,000 people.

The research interviewed 16 witnesses from Ormo and Pokomo communities including victims and found that, “area politicians who hoped to win seats in next year’s elections were involved in the violence on both sides… aimed at displacing the supporters of opponents.”

Witnesses reported seeing “Constituency Development Fund vehicles for Garsen (Whose MP is Danson Mungatana) and Galole constituency carrying fuel to Riketa that was later used to burn buildings in the attack.”

The statemnet also points out that Internal Security Minister and Ijara MP Yusuf Haji who has had public spat with Godhana, who hopes to be Tana River County governor has been backing his rival Hussein Dado.

Godhana is facing charges of incitement that led to the September 10 Kilelengwani village attack that left 40 people dead including nine police officers in revenge of an earlier attack at Chamwanamuma which killed at least 11 people.

“Several politicians or political hopefuls have been linked to the violence in Tana River, ending the political violence in Tana River requires bringing to book those behind the clashes on both sides,” Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa Director at HRW is quoted on the statement.

“For decades the Kenya police have failed to investigate politicians who may be implicated in serious crimes. If they are ready to do so now the authorities must be even-handed and investigate all sides,” Lefkow points out.

© Manuel Odeny, 2012