The value of fish produced in Kenya jumped 38.53 percent to Sh54.86 billion in 2025, rising from Sh39.62 billion the previous year, lifted by higher production.
Fresh data by the State Department for the Blue Economy and Fisheries showed the country produced 189,150 tonnes of fish in 2025, marking a 12.3 percent increase compared to the 168,424 tonnes realised the previous year.
‘The subsector has growing demand for fish and fish products that is projected to reach 450,000 tonnes by 2030, and there is a deliberate shift towards structured aquaculture (fish farming) and coastal/marine production in order to bridge the gap to meet the demand,’ the Department said.
Freshwater fish production rose from 86,527 tonnes in 2024 to 125,374 tonnes in 2025, with its value rising from Sh14.5 billion to Sh28.6 billion. Marine production increased from 48,608 tonnes in 2024 to 63,776 tonnes in 2025, with a value of Sh15.2 billion and Sh26.2 billion in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Aquaculture fish production increased by 2.9 percent to 34,260 tonnes in 2025 from 33,289 tonnes in 2024, with a value of Sh9.9 billion in 2024 and Sh11 billion in 2025.
‘Fish production from fish farming (pond) declined by 20.7 percent to 6.1 million tonnes, while cage farming increased by 10.1 per cent to 28.1million tonnes in 2025,’ the Department said.
Freshwater fisheries contributed 66 percent of Kenya’s total fish production in 2025, with the principal catches coming from Lake Victoria. This was a significant jump from 52 percent in 2024.
‘The subsector supported the livelihood of over four million people directly and indirectly working as fishers, traders, processors, suppliers and merchants of fishing accessories, employees and their dependents. Besides being a rich source of protein, especially for riparian communities, the sub-sector is also essential for preserving culture, national heritage and recreational purposes,’ the department said.
The 2025 earnings and production performance marks successive growth for the industry amid interest from new investors, especially in cage farming.
Cage fish farming has gained traction in Lake Victoria, with more than 4,000 cages in place and concentrated on the Kenyan side of the water mass. Many of the cages are individually owned, even though more corporations, such as Victory Farms, are eyeing aquaculture opportunities in the lake.
Cage farming involves setting up a netted enclosure that is suspended in the lake with fish fingerlings enclosed in it. The fish are fed and tended to in the enclosure. The harvesting cycle for caged fish is about one year per cage.
An increase in fish production from marine fisheries and cage culture in Kenya has reduced the country’s dependence on foreign suppliers and stabilised the domestic market. Still, Kenya produces less than the national demand of 510,000 tonnes of fish.