Margaret Gatonye

M.A. in Project Planning and Management and a B.A. in Mass Communication. I have vast experience in Fresh Water Aquaculture with special focus on sustainable small scale and large-scale fish farming and social- economic development of rural communities in fish farming in Kenya. For five years I have worked as the Head of Projects of Aquacultural Association of Kenya (AAK), a National Umbrella body for fish farmers in Kenya whose aim is to promote food security, reduce poverty and improve healthy living through aquaculture.

I have conducted several projects including Standards and Market Access Programme (SMAP) UNIDO Aquaculture Component (2015-2017), the Implementation of a Regional Fisheries Strategy for ESA-IO IOC-SmartFish programmes (2014-2017); Technical Assistance targeted support project in Kenya to develop a Stakeholder-Led and “Good Practice” Based Value Chain Compliance System for Exports to the EU for aquaculture sector under ACP-EU TradeCom II Programme (2017) and an International research market-led surveys for Sustainable New Ingredients to Promote Health (SNIPH) for farmed fish in both fresh water in Lake Victoria and Marine water in Indian Ocean; a project implemented in India, Tanzania and Kenya together with University of Stirling UK.

I have represented farmers on local, regional and international dialogues and networking conferences under different development partners such as AUIBAR, NEPAD, WorldFish, SADC, GIZ, LVFO, FAO, IOC and KEPSA. In collaboration with directorate of aquaculture, I was involved in the development of a project concept for Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP) funded by IFAD to support aquaculture development in Kenya, to be implemented in the 2018/2019 fiscal year.

I am a member of the World Aquaculture Society and the youth representative of the East Africa Platform for Non-State in Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector (EARFISH) representing fifteen counties in EA.