Capture Fisheries
Aquaculture
TAFIRI Kyela Centre, one of the four Centres of the Institute, is situated within the Kyela District, Mbeya Region. The Centre is located approximately 15 kilometers from the northern shoreline of Lake Nyasa which is also known as Lake Niassa or Lake Malawi in Mozambique and Malawi, respectively.
The Centre was established in 1978 by the then Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism for the purpose of assessing fishing activities in Lake Nyasa. This Centre remained under the Ministry until it was transferred to TAFIRI in 1980 and officially started its operational work in 1983. The responsibilities of this Centre include fulfilling the Government's objectives in establishing TAFIRI, with its main activities focusing on research and development of the fishery sector.
The Centre serves Lakes Nyasa and Rukwa, as well as various small crater lakes, ponds, dams and rivers, along with various fishing activities in seven regions of Ruvuma, Njombe, Iringa, Mbeya, Songwe, Rukwa, and Katavi located in the Southern and Southwestern Highlands Zone
Over the years, the research Centre has been a platform for various research activities such as; behavioral ecology, evolutionary ecology, evolutionary parasitology, life history evolution, Ichthyology research particularly in the Lake Nyasa cichlids, water quality monitoring, aquaculture and post-harvest reduction. We are also involved in numerous international research collaborations with visiting research scientists from abroad.
Currently, the center employs twelve permanent staff members with diverse professional backgrounds. It consists of one administrative building, three research buildings with two laboratories, one museum, one aquarium room, two meeting halls, and eight researchers' min-laboratories offices. Additionally, the Centre has four staff houses and one guest house, which can be reached within fifteen-minute walk from the Centre.
In terms of research equipment, Kyela Centre possesses one 8-meter fiberglass boat with a 15Hp outboard engine for conducting research on Lake Nyasa. The Centre also has one Motor Vehicle to assist transport of researchers during field research activities and in reaching stakeholders.
I would like to invite you to visit, work, and or learn from us and enjoy the beauty of the magnificent landscapes along, and clear waters of, the Lake Nyasa. Karibu sana!
The Research Center will perform the following activities:-
- To co-ordinate and promote research activities within the Centre in collaboration with the Research Development and Coordination Directorate
- To undertake research activities on projects approved by the Institute
- To evaluate and recommend to the Institute applications for first issue or renewal of reserch clearance
- To play a leading role in assessing reesarch needs and possible sources of funding
- To develop and maintain research project and solicit funds for fisheries and aquaculture research
- To prepare budget estimates for the centre activities
- Effieciently and effectively manage resources of the centre
- Keep an up to date inventory of fisheries research activities at the Centre
- Establish a mechanism for planning, monitoring, contolling and coordinating fisheries research at the centre
- Carry out, and promote the carrying out of, enquiry experiments and reesearch on fisheries nd aquaculture
- Coordinate and facilitate supervision of field practical students, internships and volunteers at the centre
- Encourage and provide for staff training and development
- Provide administrative back-up to researchers and supporting staffs at the Centre and
- Prepare period reports on research and administrative matters of the centre
The Reserach Centre will be led by a Director
.