Title : Current aquaculture status and cultured fish species in Ethiopia
Abstract:
Ethiopia harbors a rich biological diversity of native fish resources and recognition of the potential to use these resources to make significant contributions towards improving food security through aquaculture. However, very little aquaculture production technique has developed and its practice has been limited to pond fish farming at farmer level and stocking of small water bodies, without subsequent monitoring and impact evaluation. Currently Ethiopian government has proposed aquaculture as an option to boost fish production and as an alternative means to food security and poverty alleviation. Nowadays it is considered as an integral part of rural and agricultural development policies and strategies. In the early 2008’s, over 2.5 million fingerlings, primarily consisting of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Tilapia zilli, Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Crucian carp (Carassius carassius), were stocked in artificial lakes, reservoirs and small water bodies. Culture based fisheries is a dominant type of aquaculture practice in Ethiopia. It involves the stocking of newly constructed reservoirs with fingerlings collected from existing water bodies, mostly with tilapia. This consists of extensive aquaculture operations in several small rural-based fish pond sized between 100 and 300m². Fish culture cages and pens have also begun to implement in Koga reservoir, Gilgel Gibe III reservoir and Lake Tana. Currently, the fish feeding habit of the people of Ethiopia is highly increasing especially in and around rift valley system and areas where artificial lakes constructed for other purpose. So practicing of aquaculture up to feasible level is required to feed the ever increasing and adapting fish eating population of this country. The National Fishery and Aquatic Life Research Center (NFALRC) and some regional fishery research centers such as Ziway and Hawassa are currently primarily concerned with strain improvement of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), the most commercially significant and mostly cultured fish species. However, in some professions, such as fish breeding and genetic improvement, fish feed formulation and processing, and fish production and management in pond culture systems, there is a significant shortage of skilled labor, despite some encouraging recent initiatives. Therefore, exchanging knowledge with professionals in such global gatherings and getting technical support from experienced nations in these fields will undoubtedly enable us to significantly raise the production of our aquaculture.
Key words: Ethiopian aquaculture, potentials, opportunities, challenges. Nile tilapia
