Write Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
A shortage of Pangasius fish in international market markets following flooding in Vietnam is expected to boost Nile Perch exports from Lake Victoria.
Nile Perch sales in Asian and Western European markets have in past few years gradually reduced as more price sensitive consumers opted for Pangasius, a cheaper alternative source of white meat.
Analysis with the Food and Agriculture Organization {FAO} SAID Nile Perch exports from Lake Victoria could rise sharply this ear following shortages of the rival species after massive floods in the main producing Vietnam contaminated ponds.
“Drop in demand doe Pangasius and the increase in the value of marketing of certified Nile Perch in the EU {European Union}, could give extra boost to the fishery products coming from Lake Victoria,” says the agencies I the market update report for the month of April, 2012.
The food in the third quarter of lat year saw nearly 70 per cent of all pangasius fish processing plants in Vietnam Mekong delta shut down due to contaminated fish ponds mainly in Dong Thup and An Ging provinces.
The effects of the damages on the Pangasius market are expected to spill over into much of this year, reviving the Lake Victoria Nile Perch industry whose fortunes have been rising with adoption of certification programme .
Kenya and other East African countries mainly rely on Lake Victoria to support Nile Perch industries even though the business has in the recent years come under pressure from dwindling supplies and weak prices in the international market.
FAO report says, Lake Victoria Nile Perch exports to the EU had began stabilizing due to improved quality standards. In this period, Tanzania was by far the biggest supplier for European countries with 12,300 tones, following by Uganda and Kenya,” the agency said.
Statistics showed that n the first quarter of lat year, the EU remained the main market for Nile Perch with 8,200 tones of fillets coming from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
In 2010, Kenya exported 3,600 tones of Nile Perch fillets to EU markets, while Tanzania sold 16,300 tones and Uganda 11,800 tones.
Apart from competing from Pangasius, the Lake Victoria Nile Perch industry has also suffered an image problem over poor fishing methods that deprived the lake of its potential resources.
Data by the Fisheries Department showed that the Nile Perch stock in Lake Victoria decline from 1.9 million tones to 1.2 million between 1999 and 2001 before dropping drastically to 544,000 tones in 2005.The stocks were estimated at 37o tones in 2008.
As part of efforts to stall dip in Lake Victoria catch, governments have formed beach management units to oversee sustainable exploitation of the fish resources.
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