A major constraint to the development of sustainable mariculture in Kenya has been the persistent lack of reliable, hatchery-bred seed. For decades, mariculture initiatives by NGOs and donor agencies involving species like prawns, mud crabs, oysters, and seaweeds have struggled to scale due to systemic bottlenecks—including overreliance on seasonally available wild seed, inconsistent quality, and limited technical capacity. This dependency has restricted production planning and long-term viability, reducing most ventures to subsistence levels. To bridge this critical gap, the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), with funding from the National Research Fund (NRF), established the country’s first marine hatchery at Shimoni in Kwale County.
The facility focuses initially on the Indian White Prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus), a commercially significant species that comprises over a third (37.2%) of national prawn landings. Broodstock were sourced from semi-industrial trawlers operating in Malindi-Ungwana Bay and induced to spawn via unilateral eyestalk ablation. Two larviculture cycles completed between June and October 2024 produced approximately 60,000 and 600,000 post-larvae (PLs), respectively (Table 1). Larvae were reared using Nannochloropsis spp., Artemia (Artemia franciscana) and supplemental diets, with PLs from the second run stocked in community ponds—marking Kenya’s first structured grow-out trial using hatchery-reared prawns.
Despite early challenges—limited live feed, aeration, and monitoring tools—the trials validated core hatchery operations: broodstock management, larval rearing protocols, phototactic larval collection, and water quality systems. The hatchery now has an estimated production capacity of 4–5 million PLs annually across 6–8 spawning cycles. It also provides a research and training platform through the broader NAMARET initiative, which integrates laboratory facilities, extension training, and seed dissemination.
By enabling year-round seed availability and reducing reliance on wild stocks, the Shimoni hatchery lays the foundation for a scalable, sustainable mariculture sector. It is strategically aligned with Kenya’s Vision 2030, the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), and regional Blue Economy priorities—positioning the facility as a model for aquaculture growth in the Western Indian Ocean region.