On June 11th, 2019, Ambassador of the Netherlands: Frédérique de Man opened the first demonstration recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) farm in Rwanda.
The aerated RAS technology has been developed by the Dutch consortium FoodTechAfrica and has proven successful at several pilot farms in Kenya. FoodTechAfrica has taken the best practices and implemented them into a RAS model for Rwanda so that it will have a direct positive impact on fish production and food security in the region. The partners Fishion, Holland Aqua B.V., Viqon Water solutions, and Larive International have built a demonstration facility at Lakeside Fish Farm in Bugesera, Rwanda.
Demonstration recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) farm
The technology has been developed into a modular Aquakit (dubbed the FisHub), a standalone fish farming system that has the following proven advantages:
- An average output 100 times larger than that of an equally sized fish pond.
- A design localized to the circumstances found in Africa.
- Closed production system to produce safe, healthy and traceable fish for human consumption.
- Easy installation and low-maintenance.
- The ability to connect multiple FisHubs to easily expand production.
- A low-cost price per kilogram of fish produced, giving farmers a sustainable business for the short and long term.
The aim of this project is to assess the market of farmed fish in Rwanda and to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of the FisHub. Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda have been selected as key markets, given their population growth, economic development and urgent need to feed its growing population with locally produced proteins (rather than import from China).
