Victory Farms has become the first tilapia farm in Kenya and Africa to participate in an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) under the Improver Programme by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
According to ASC, this move marks a major step forward for responsible seafood farming on the continent.
Victory Farms covers 50 hectares of tilapia farming in western Kenya’s Homa Bay (Nyanza region) and produces 18,000 tonnes of tilapia annually. It operates a vertically integrated model, overseeing the entire value chain from hatchery to table.
“This is a landmark achievement not just for Victory Farms, but for Africa’s seafood farming sector as a whole. We are thrilled to support Victory Farms as they choose change and raise the bar for tilapia farming in the region,” ASC Improver Programme lead Roy van Daatselaar said.
The AIP will involve close collaboration with ASC to identify areas for improvement, implement best practices, and monitor progress over time. The farmed seafood certification programme said the effort paves the way for Victory Farms to enhance key areas such as animal welfare and the responsible use of feed, while also serving as a blueprint for other aquaculture producers in Africa to follow.
”We’re eager to ensure our standards are world-class and traceable for all our consumers. Joining the AIP is an excellent opportunity to strengthen this rigour and reporting in our operations,” Victory Farms’ Group Aquaculture Excellence Manager, Nsogbu Wadike said.
The Improver Programme supports farms who are not ready or eligible for ASC certification but are committed to improving their farming practices through an AIP. It comprises a set of procedures and tools to ensure that improvements are consistently and effectively implemented by producers in the form of Aquaculture Improvement Projects (AIP).
Currently, there are 17 active AIPs in the shrimp sector across Ecuador (1), Kenya (1), Bangladesh (1), Indonesia (2), and Thailand (12).
