This project will focus on the following problems attributed to Lake Victoria Fish Value Chain:
Irregular supply of electricity for Nile Perch processing plants: Despite the initial high capital outlay and high operating costs, industrial filleting is still one of the most attractive Nile perch processing options in the country today.
As a result, Nile perch filleting plants mushroomed. A few years ago, there were 17 industrial fish processing companies in Kenya, all export-oriented, mainly to European and non-European markets.

However, inadequate and irregular supply of electricity has forced these factories to deploy diesel generators, which, apart from contributing towards Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, are expensive to run and therefore reduce the profitability of these fish processing factories.
High consumption of firewood for fish frying:
Women are involved in local fish processing at the beaches, mainly frying. Today, the bulk of locally consumed fish (particularly Tilapia) is fried. Frying is done primarily on low-efficient firewood stoves. 
Firewood-based cooking kilns: The high demand for firewood puts pressure on trees, leading to deforestation in the regions around Lake Victoria.
Inadequate cold storage: Inadequate cold storage services are one of the main inefficiencies in the region’s lake capture fisheries value chains. There are about 321 fish landing sites on Lake Victoria, on the Kenyan side. However, only eight areas, which benefited from the European-funded program, have cold storage. Unfortunately, most of these cold storage facilities are not operational. As a result, fishers lose up to 40% of their catches.
In all five counties, the demand for ice is estimated at 310 metric tonnes per day against a production capacity of 107 metric tonnes per day. There is a need to revive the collapsed EU projects and support the additional establishment of small-scale cold facilities and small-scale ice by SMEs to support aquaculture and cage fishing in the region.
Inadequate management of fish waste and other organic waste: Industrial fish processing generates large quantities of wastes with high organic contents. The solid fish wastes make up 30-40% of the total production. The wastes include viscera, skin, frames, chips, fins, fat solids, rejects.
A survey undertaken in 2009 indicated that out of 31 fish processing industries in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda around Lake Victoria, 75% attempted to treat or utilize their solid wastes. The industry faces three challenges in waste management. First is inadequate treatment of wastewater.
However, the wastewater disposal methods include little stabilization ponds and direct discharge of either raw or semi-processed water into the lake. Secondly, the methods used for disposing of the solid waste included dumping on the ground or burying under the ground, which is not environmentally sustainable.
Finally, the fish waste utilization methods include the local sale of solid fish residues such as frames for the local community. However, the income from the residues is lower than handling costs. There is a need to employ modern waste management options, such as leather production, fish maw processing, and biogas digestion.
Untreated wastewater fed into the lake: There are several different reasons why the lake’s ecosystem and, therefore, the livelihood of the people living around it have come under pressure. The water quality has deteriorated steadily over the last few years, partly because the urban infrastructures have not been able to keep pace with the rapid population growth. Establishing adequate wastewater disposal systems, in particular, represents a considerable challenge, which is why large amounts of wastewater are still being fed into the lake untreated.
No access to clean drinking water: Many people have no access to clean water or improved sanitation facilities, resulting in high incidences of water-related diseases like malaria, bilharzia, and cholera.
High post-harvest losses to small fish: An approximated 30% of total Omena (Rastrineobola argentea), Omena landings are used for human consumption. This is equivalent to 18,000 metric tonnes of Omena per year. This is marketed through various informal channels. The primary processing of Omena by sun-drying is done entirely by women at the beaches as its shelf life can only be extended when the product is well dried and stored. The sun-drying of Omena is carried out at the fish landing beaches; the fish has spread over-fishing nets and left to dry for 6 to 8 hrs. During the drying process, the fish is exposed to contamination from soil, animals, and personnel processing fish; this leads to post-harvest losses and lowers the quality as well as income.
Inadequate management of organic market wastes: All the beaches have small markets in which, apart from fish, other products are sold, generating substantial organic debris, which creates disposal challenges. Some of these can be used as inputs to biogas digestion.
Use of Kerosene for fishing: In the lake region, Omena (small fish) is done at night, using Kerosene powered lantern to attract the fish, which is not environmentally sustainable.