Farm Africa Kenya Market-led Aquaculture Programme
Terms of Reference
For
Aquaculture environmental impact study
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1. Introduction
Farm Africa was founded in 1985; we have a track record of implementing successful grassroots
development projects and improving agricultural development policies. We currently work in
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. We work with smallholder farmers, pastoralists and
forest-based communities to develop innovative approaches to make sustainable improvements
to their livelihood activities through more effective and productive natural resource management.
In addition, we support the communities we work with in value addition for their products and
harvests and link them to markets in order to establish viable income-generating enterprises.
Farm Africa has received funding from the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kenya (EKN) to
implement the Kenya Market-led Aquaculture Programme (KMAP). Farm Africa is seeking to
engage a consultant with experience in conducting environmental impact assessments to ensure
project activities will comply with national environmental regulations and international best
practice and guarantee the long term sustainability of its operations with minimal impacts on
downstream communities and/or other water users.
2. Background to KMAP
The demand for fish in Kenya is rising because consumers are increasingly aware that fish is a
vital source of healthy protein and essential nutrients. Farming fish offers significant economic
benefits and, unlike capture or marine fisheries, does not rely on a depreciating natural resource.
KMAP will support farmers and traders with technical and business support training, link them
to markets and input providers to ensure sustainable growth of their business. Input providers
such as fingerling producers and feed producers will receive technical and marketing support.
The different players in the value chain will be linked to each other through networking events
on existing agricultural shows, and potential investors will be attracted to the sector with fact
based economic models and expertise. KMAP will also promote the consumption of farmed fish
and identify (new) market segments for farmed fish and fish products.
KMAP’s ultimate goal is to develop a vibrant aquaculture industry that generates sustainable
incomes, food security, and employment through the following objectives:
1) Sustainably increase production and productivity of medium to large scale fish farmers,
hatcheries and fish feed producers
2) Increase access to markets for medium to large scale fish farmers and input suppliers
3) Enhance the enabling environment to support aquaculture development
Aquaculture is a significant and continuously growing food production sector. In many cases it
provides income and employment and can significantly contribute to the supply of much needed
protein and food security in general. There are concerns, though, that continuous growth in this
sector could be affected by resource limitations and cause significant negative impacts on the
environment. The main aim of this Term of Reference is to identify the nature and extent of such
impacts and propose an environmental management plan (EMP) to mitigate them.
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3. Purpose
Farm Africa wishes to commission an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of pond
aquaculture, hatchery operation, feed production and cage culture in Kenya, with a focus on both
the potential impacts of the project on the wider environment and the impact of environmental
(including climate and climate change) limitations on the sustainability of project outputs. The
assessment will target all relevant project stages and stakeholders (including passive actors in the
aquaculture value chain). It will provide a framework for sound, climate sensitive technical and
economic decision making during project implementation. In addition the consultancy will
identify areas for a potential collaboration between the Kenyan Government and The
Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA). The study will cover the
following specific matters:
1. Describe and assess current environmental impact assessment and management
regulations for the specific case of fresh water cage- and pond fish farming in Kenya
2. Make recommendations to the project for impact monitoring and management, including
steps to comply with national environmental impact assessment and management
regulations and international best practice.
3. Assess the impact of further intensification of production from fresh water cage- and
pond fish farming in the KMAP project area (West of Kenya and around Nairobi County)
and make recommendations for strengthening national regulations
4. Design and roll out a training programme for project staff
Scope
The scope of this environmental impact assessment will consider the following elements:
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Advice on how the project should comply to national EIA regulations
Consider the full extent of the aquaculture value-chain – i.e.: not restricted to fish
production, but including input and output streams of the value chain
Assess and manage the environmental impacts of fish farming operations – including
direct (on-site) and indirect (off-site, downstream, …) effects
Assess and manage the impacts of the environment, including climate change, on the
sustainability of the operation along the aquaculture value chain with a focus on, but not
restricted to water supply
Design of an environmental monitoring and management plan for the project and give
recommendations for improved environmental management for sector expansion
4. Specific objectives
1. Describe and assess current environmental impact assessment and management regulations of
fresh water cage- and pond fish farming in Kenya
2.1 What are the current national regulations concerning the environmental monitoring
and management of aquaculture and what organizations/institutions are involved in
this in Kenya?
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2.2 How do current and draft Kenyan policies compare to international standards? What
are the key additional standards that would need to be considered if international
standards were to be adopted?
2.3 What are the implications of these national regulations and international standards
with regards to KMAP implementation? In other words: which risks, according to
national regulations and international best practice are involved in pond and cage
culture farming?
2.4 What additional voluntary instruments such as codes of practice, best practice
guidelines, certification schemes exist that could be adopted by the project to assess,
monitor and manage the project’s environmental risks? And where are these applied
in aquaculture either in Kenya or in East Africa?
Methodology:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Full literature review of all existing regulations, laws, guidelines for all fish farming
operations relevant to Kenya, this includes the East African Community regulations
with reference to ecological, social and environmental aspects
List of all institutions/organizations with their mandate relevant to EIA for
aquaculture
Full study of upcoming/draft regulations for all fish farming operations in Kenya
Study of international best practice, as guided by the World Bank /FAO/
WorldFishCenter System’s Environmental Safeguards from production to marketing
including feed production and supplies
Identification and rapid assessment of the project’s environmental risks as defined by
the above national regulations and international best-practice, taking account of the
scope of the study as defined above
2. Make recommendations to the project for impact monitoring and management of its
environmental impacts
2.1 Carry out a comprehensive environmental risk assessment for the project, taking the scope as
set out above into account, and considering the steps identified in the national regulations,
complemented by recommended international standards
2.2 Design a comprehensive environmental monitoring and management plan for the project,
including all necessary actions, timings and sequencing, human resource needs and costs
Methodology:
i.
ii.
Identify and map all project activities and carry out an initial screening of
environmental risks; identify project activities that could cause serious environmental
risks for further enquiry,
Conduct field work, including community and stakeholder consultations, to
characterise and assess potentially serious environmental risks and identify
necessary monitoring and management actions for those risks – consider the present
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iii.
iv.
biophysical, social and economic environment in the areas of operation and the
adjacent areas and waterways to be used for intake and discharge – including the
existing environmental values within the area which are likely to be affected by the
project, and assess the effectiveness of already existing mitigating actions
Identify environmental factors that could represent a constraint on the sustainability
of project outputs – with a focus on (but not restricted to) water availability (rainfall,
hydrology, …), how these could evolve in the future, including as a result of climate
change and propose actions to minimise the impacts of those constraints
Consolidate all environmental monitoring and management actions into an
environmental management plan (EMP), to guide implementation and M&E and
considering:
a. indicators, methodologies and on-farm procedures that can be used for
evaluating the impact of fish farming on its direct environment and larger
watershed?
b. indicators that can be used to generate information to come up with improved
management for on farm procedures and for project specific environmental
impact monitoring which are practicable? What are SOP (Standard operating
procedures) for measuring the above mentioned indicators and their cost
implication on the farm?
c. practices that can be followed to reduce the environmental impact associated
with the project?
d. stakeholder (producers, and other players) acceptance of the proposed
proposed monitoring and management activities?
3. Assess the impact of further intensification of production from fresh water cage- and pond fish
farming in the KMAP project area (West of Kenya and around Nairobi County) and make
recommendations for strengthening national regulations
3.1 How can aquaculture be classified in Kenya looking at different aquaculture techniques
(extensive, intensive), types (cage and pond) and species and how are those likely to evolve
in the future?
3.2 Which are the additional environmental risks associated with a further intensification of those
activities, taking account of the scope as defined above and considering the present
biophysical, social and economic environment in the areas of operation and the adjacent
areas and waterways to be used for intake and discharge – including the existing
environmental values within the area which are likely to be affected?
3.3 What does the literature say about comparable aquaculture practices and systems that exist or
are potentially replicable in Kenya?
3.4 What are lessons learned from other countries concerning environmental impact (pollution,
introduction of genetic material, etc.) of intensification of aquaculture in ponds and in cages?
3.5 Which soft-law based, recommended practices and procedures for EIA and environmental
monitoring measures, including voluntary instruments such as codes of practice, best practice
guidelines (e.g. WorldFishCenter, FAO, Worldbank), certification schemes, etc. could be
adopted to strengthen current national regulations?
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3.6 Propose the main elements of an action plan to strengthen national environmental
regulations, including recommendations for collaboration between Kenyan and Dutch
environmental agencies
Methodology:
i.
ii.
iii.
Literature review and stakeholder consultations to forecast possible fish farm
intensification scenarios
Literature reviews of potential additional environmental impacts and mitigation
actions
Focused group discussions to develop and validate recommended improvements to
national regulatory framework
4. Design and roll out a training programme for project staff
a. Design a training programme, including all teaching materials, for the
implementation of the project’s environmental management plan
b. Conduct a 4-day training programme for project staff, including both formal
teaching and practical field based training in specific techniques, to ensure staff
are able to identify areas for environmental impact along the aquaculture value
chain and carry out necessary measurements and management activities
5. Deliverables
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An inception report which will include the assessment of the existing regulatory
requirements and implications for specific objectives 2, 3 and 4
Present and discuss the outcomes of the inception report at a workshop organized by
Farm Africa and agree the activity plan for specific objectives 2, 3 and 4.
An environmental impact assessment report and monitoring and management plan for
KMAP, including activities and sequencing, stakeholders, estimated costs, considering:
o national requirements
o recommended international best practice
A report on the potential impacts of environmental limitations, including climate shocks
and trends, on the sustainability of the project outputs and of the proposed intervention on
the communities’ vulnerability to climate shocks and trends as well and proposed
mitigating actions
Curriculum and training material for capacity building of project staff focusing on how to
measure indicators, general considerations, effects on the environment etc. in a 4-day
workshop/training.
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6. Qualifications:
The team should have at least the following:
 At least 8 years of experience in environmental impact assessment for aquaculture
operations
 At least 3 years experience with both fresh water pond and cage culture
 Have carried out environmental impact assessment in East Africa preferably in Kenya
 At least one member of the team has to be certified for environmental impact assessment
in Kenya by NEMA
Submission requirements:
The team of experts is required to submit a technical and financial proposal documents by email
to; [email protected], with a copy to [email protected] & [email protected];
by COB 15th of April 2016 with below specifications:
Detailed methodology of how this assignment will be carried out with timelines and specifying
the outline of final report based on the tasks mentioned above. The study will be planned for the
month of May with submission of the final report by 31st of May 2016.
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