Small-scale aquaculture and aquaponics farming is growing steadily in East Africa. However, its success and sustainability are short-lived, considering that most do not break even or shut down a few months after starting. The study examined the status of aquaculture and aquaponics education in East Africa, focusing on its role in the success or failure of small-scale farming, gaps, and the resultant challenges. The study was quantitative. The research disclosed a significant aquaculture and aquaponics education gap. Inadequate and poor education is primarily to blame for the high failure rates. Most respondents confused aquaponics with hydroponics. Also, the knowledge and training are limited to tilapia, sardines (omena), salmon, and catfish farming. The results revealed four categories of education gaps and challenges.
The first category is the lack of requisite education on the infrastructural set-up of aquaculture and aquaponics production systems. As a result, farmers set up wrong systems or use inappropriate procedures and materials. For example, farmers had little knowledge of integrated recycling systems and semi-closed systems. The majority adopted floating cage systems because they did not understand available alternatives. Secondly, farmers lacked education on efficient aquaculture farm management. Professionally set up fish farms deteriorated in months after starting operations due to poor management. Lack of or inadequate training on the suitable fish to rear, feeding, harvesting, hatchery, safety, and water management contributed to fish deaths and low yields. Thirdly, farmers lacked entrepreneurship education and skills to profitably run the aquaculture/aquaponics farm. Aquaculture farmers in East Africa lack adequate training in supply chain management, costing, budgeting, supply and demand planning, and marketing. This education is essential in running an efficient, market-driven, and sustainably profitable aquaculture/aquaponics farm. Lastly, there is inadequate education among consumers on the nutritional value of fish, thus affecting consumer demand.
Overall, the study revealed a high demand for specific fish types such as catfish and tilapia and low demand for sardines due to overproduction. Generally, farmers lacked the critical education needed for profitable and sustainable aquaculture. Farmers had little knowledge of aquaponics. Also, most education institutions with aquaculture courses were mainly undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, thus, revealing a significant gap in diplomas certificates and apprenticeship training for interested farmers who do not meet university degree requirements. For instance, Kenya had one non-degree aquaculture academy under Food Tech Africa Consortium in partnership with two fish farms offering non-accredited practical aquaculture training. There lacked a higher education institution providing aquaponics as a course in East Africa. The study disclosed that education is critical for aquaculture and aquaponics farming and recommended introducing certificate and diploma courses in East Africa to support small-scale aquaculture/aquaponics. However, private and public sector collaboration is crucial to bridge the high education gap through offering small-scale education to farmers on aquaponics and aquaculture trends, considering that most of these courses are provided by private non-college organizations.