Fishery Resources and Programmes
Ethiopia has an extensive body of inland waters, comprising eight principal lakes, three reservoirs and numerous rivers. These water bodies are not properly surveyed and hence no systematic assessment of their fishing potential has been made. It is generally believed that the total area of the lakes is more than 7,000 km2 and their maximum yield of fish is roughly estimated to be about 35,300 tons. The annual fishing potential of the Baro River alone is estimated at 25,000 tons. Other rivers such as Gilo, Omo, Awash. Abay (Blue Nile) and Wabi Shebele are also known to have large potential.
The Fisheries Resource Development Department (FRDD) (established in 1979 under MOA) and the Fish Production and Marketing Corporation (1989) are the government agencies vested with the responsibility of development and extension of inland fisheries processing and marketing of fish in the country. According to the FRDD, the total annual catch of fish from lakes and reservoirs is around 4,400 tons. The biggest catch (57%) comes from Lakes Abaya /Chamo and Ziway which comprise about 21 per cent of the total area of lakes and reservoirs. Only a small number of fishermen, estimated at about 1,000, earn their livelihood from fishing. This, however, does not include part-time subsistence fishermen most of which are from traditional fishing tribes.
Despite its large potential, attempts to develop Ethiopia's fishery resources are limited. It is estimated that only about 0.4 of the expenditure in the agricultural sector is allocated for the development of fisheries (MOA, FPFSN, sub-programme 3, 1993).
The international support provided so far has concentrated on supporting traditional fishermen through the supply of boats and fishing gears. The EEC has supported fish marketing through the provision of marketing infrastructure such as cold stores, transport trucks and the like. The level of international support was generally too small compared to the resource requirement of the fishing sub-sector (MOA, FPFSN, Sub-programme 2, 1993).
Fishing in Ethiopia is constrained by lack of efficient infrastructure and marketing network. The infrastructure at fishing sites is undeveloped and inadequate and is devoid of transport facilities to link remote water bodies with major consuming areas. Harvesting and processing technology are not accessible, thus limiting the scope of marketing to the nearest local outlets where fish can be sold fresh immediately after catching. Inadequate extension services and lack of credit for the purchase of fishing tools have constrained the production capacity of fishermen. There are no laws and regulations for productive utilization of fish resources and protection of catchment areas or rechecking degradation around the lakes.
Fish as a diet is not recognized by most Ethiopians, thus calling for strong education and extension programme to change food habits. The demand for fish is seasonal particularly where Orthodox Christians predominate: high during fasting and very low during non-fasting periods.
The major development elements in the fishery subsector (as specified
in the Agricultural Development Programme) are:
- launching Model Fish Farm Development in order to create model
centres which can be used for extension of fish farming.
- establishing Omorate Dried Fish Project to supply dried fish to
the market
- establishing Lake Fincha Fishery Development to raise the standard
of living of the people in the surrounding areas, and
- improving artisanal fishing and fish marketing
- conduct frame survey and monitoring programme on Baro and Omo
rivers
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Under the new organizational structure, the fishery and livestock departments have been joined to form the Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Department.