Fish Farm - Tilapia Harvest
Ethiopian freshwater bodies are estimated to be about 7000 km length of flowing (rivers and streams) and about 7500 km2 of standing water. Ethiopia’s extensive inland rivers and lakes contain substantial proven reserves of fish and other aquatic resources. The potential annual fresh-water fish production is estimated at about 45,000 tons, of which only 20% are exploited at present.
With no coastline and no fish farming industry, Ethiopia fish production depends on the catches from inland lakes and the Abay River (Blue Nile). Currently, fish production in Ethiopia lies in tilapia, catfish, barbus and Nile perch. Various data indicate that the aquatic resources of Ethiopia are underexplored and underexploited. The capture fishery especially that of the riverine fishery is very weak (from a production potential of about 50,000 tons per year, only about
15,000 tons is being exploited) and the culture fishery is virtually non-existent.
Ethiopia, the second biggest market in Africa with an estimated population of 93 million people and a GDP growth of more than 10 per cent, has a deficit in seafood. Demand is growing fast and domestic landings cannot meet local needs of seafood consumption. The rise of a middle class, with higher incomes and their desire to include healthier proteins in their diet, and the limited fish production prompts a favorable situation for establishing the proposed fish farming next to attracting seafood exporters wanting to sell affordable fish to the Ethiopian market.
To meet the demand in supply gap, enhancing productivity of tilapia or catfish on the naturally available Lake and harvesting (fishing) for market is an opportunity to be exploited. This section is intended to depict the possibility for a potential investment to maximize production of Tilapia and catfish from Ellen Lake.
