Fish cages sitting in Lake Victoria are accidentally turning into breeding hotspots for wild species, according to farmers working the Chembaya Fish Farm Group near Mwanza. Mselikale Mkiju from the group says baby fish slip through the cage mesh and hang out where illegal fishing gear can't reach them. The setup creates feeding zones underneath where wild fish spawn safely while dodging beach seines and undersized nets.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan kicked off the cage farming project last year through the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank, which handed out interest-free loans. The Chembaya crew grabbed 117 million shillings and already paid back 80 percent after their first harvest. They're landing orders for 40 tonnes monthly from Kenya and 23 tonnes from Rwanda, but fingerling and feed delays are killing their ability to deliver.
Farmers want permission to buy from cheaper private suppliers instead of waiting for government contractors. Albert Rusasim's group waited five months for fingerlings after installing cages, and another farmer lost 50,000 fingerlings with no insurance replacement showing up.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan kicked off the cage farming project last year through the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank, which handed out interest-free loans. The Chembaya crew grabbed 117 million shillings and already paid back 80 percent after their first harvest. They're landing orders for 40 tonnes monthly from Kenya and 23 tonnes from Rwanda, but fingerling and feed delays are killing their ability to deliver.
Farmers want permission to buy from cheaper private suppliers instead of waiting for government contractors. Albert Rusasim's group waited five months for fingerlings after installing cages, and another farmer lost 50,000 fingerlings with no insurance replacement showing up.
