Enhancing the fish production potential of Lake Victoria papyrus wetlands, Kenya, using seasonal flood-dependent ponds

We present the findings of a participatory experiment on integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems (Fingerponds) at the Lake Victoria wetlands, Kenya. Fingerponds are flood-based lacustrine or floodplain wetland fishponds. The aim of the study was to explore, within a wetland/floodplain interface environment, the potential of semi-intensive fish production to enhance the wetland fishery and protect the natural ecosystem from wide-scale, destructive encroachment. The ponds were stocked naturally by flood water. After flood recession, livestock manure was added to the ponds and the effects of manuring on water and sediment quality and fish yields were studied. Manuring had positive effects on the nitrogen, phosphorous and chlorophyll a concentrations of the pond water. Regression analysis results indicated that site, manuring and environmental and climatic variables explained 58–70% of the variation in dissolved nitrogen and phosphorous, and 71% of the variation in chorophyll a. Manuring enhanced the total phosphorus concentration in the sediment but it only had marginal effects on total nitrogen. Although the net fish yields were highly variable between sites and seasons, ranging from 402 to 1069 kg ha−1, the data showed that manuring was advantageous. The duration of the culture period, site variability and manuring explained 82% of the variation in fish yields. We conclude that Fingerponds fertilized with livestock manure from abutting riparian subsistence agriculture can improve fish production, enhance food diversity and security and contribute to more efficient use of papyrus wetlands for food production. This in turn may reduce large-scale conversion of wetlands to agriculture.