This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
Published on June 10, 2020, a study by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (Kemfri) has revealed a massive 600-tonne fish stock in Lake Challa, shared between Kenya and Tanzania.
The lake, one of only two in the Coast region with vast fish stocks, has been identified as a potential economic boon for Taita Taveta County.
According to a preliminary report by Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries executive David Mwangoma, the county government has been advised to work closely with partners to develop a business module to harvest the fish and export them.
Researchers from Kemfri centres in Mombasa and Kisumu noted that while fish stocks at Lake Jipe were declining, stocks at Lake Challa were substantial due to under-exploitation.
Dr Chrispine Nyamweya, a Kisumu-based researcher, suggested reducing the stock by half to enable faster regeneration, while Dr James Mwandawiro of Mombasa Kemfri centre emphasized the need to save the tilapia species at Lake Jipe from extinction.
