The development of aquaculture – particularly tilapia farming – has put
Egypt in number one position in Africa in this sector. Researchers and
agencies are looking for further boosts in terms of new species and
improved methods as well as ways to reduce costs.
As the sun
rises over the Nile delta, workers at a fish farm in northern Egypt open
a sluice gate and sort through the thousands of wriggling tilapia that
pour out of a concrete holding tank. The fish are sorted, packed into
crates and sent to supermarkets in Cairo and Alexandria, where they are
sold as 'the catch of the day'.
Egypt has built the largest
aquaculture industry in Africa, accounting for four out of every five
fish farmed on the continent, according to IPS News. Egyptian fish farms
produced over 650,000 tons of finfish last year, or about 60 per cent
of the country's total freshwater and marine fish production, providing a
cheap source of protein for the country's 80 million people.
"The
massive growth of aquaculture has kept fish affordable for the majority
of Egyptians, so that today fish and poultry prices are more or less
similar (cost) per kilo basis," says Malcolm Beveridge, Director of
Aquaculture and Genetics at the WorldFish Centre. "It seems the majority
of consumers switch between the two, depending on which is cheaper."
Commercial
fish farming in Egypt began in the 1960s with mullet-rearing pens in
coastal lakes and lagoons. The industry has witnessed explosive growth
over the past decade. Total aquaculture production has grown by 500
percent since 1998 due to a shift to intensive rearing methods and
faster growing species such as tilapia.
The General Authority
for Fish Resources Development (GAFRD) plans to develop the country's
aquaculture industry further, and has set a goal of 1.1 million tons of
farmed fish, or about 75 per cent of total fish production, by 2012. Its
two-pronged strategy aims to increase the productivity of freshwater
aquaculture operations, while encouraging investment in marine
aquaculture (mariculture).
Egypt's limited freshwater resources
are a major constraint to aquaculture development. The populous desert
country relies on the Nile River for 95 per cent of its water needs, and
water usage is considered a national security issue. Priority is given
to potable water and crop irrigation, leaving more than 90 per cent of
the country's fish farms to operate on agricultural run-off.
Mr
Beveridge explained to IPS News: "It's not the best idea to use
agricultural drainage water for producing fish because although there
are a lot of nutrients in it, there are also pesticide residues, and
these pose an unspecified risk to consumers. It makes more sense to let
aquaculture have first use of water, and to allow the drainage from fish
farms to be used for agriculture."
Laws passed over a quarter
of a century ago prohibit aquaculture projects from drawing surface
water, but a loophole permits fish farms to have first use of
groundwater. Farmers can pump clean water from aquifers into fish ponds,
using the nutrient-rich drainage of these ponds to fertilise and
irrigate field crops - a holistic approach to food production known as
integrated aquaculture.
The technique is already in practice on
an experimental farm in Wadi Natroun, a depression 110 kilometres
north-west of Cairo. "The pilot project serves as an example for farmers
working in the desert on how they can increase their productivity and
income using the same volume of water for two, or maybe even three,
purposes," says GAFRD chairman, Mohamed Fathy.
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