Small Fish Matters: Improving the nutritional value of tilapia aquaculture in Kenya

Aquaculture is growing rapidly in some areas of SS Africa but the affordability of the large-sized individual fish typically produced maybe low. We want to test the hypothesis that a tilt to producing small-sized fish can enhance benefits to poorer stakeholders in several ways. Working with local enterprises we plan to assess production and marketing strategies for smaller fish produced in cages and ponds in terms of cost-benefit and nutritional outcomes; small fish tend to be consumed whole and provide more micronutrients/kg fish. Small fish produced in shorter cycles might be expected to reduce risk and improve cash flow for small-scale producers. Food conversion efficiencies are typically better for fish raised to small sizes and they are generally more affordable by poorer consumers.