Of late, The Ethiopian Herald had a short stay with Abebe Getahun, a Professor of Aquatic Biology at the Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University concerning Ethiopian fisheries and aquaculture, the contribution of fish and fish trade in Ethiopia as well as other things of a similar kind.
As of Professor Abebe, Ethiopia is endowed with several water bodies (lakes, rivers, natural ponds, and reservoirs) and is considered as the water tower of Eastern Africa. These Ethiopian inland water bodies harbor about 200 so far recorded fish species, including 191 indigenous and 9 exotic species; of which 45 species are endemic, making Ethiopia one of the five endemic fish species rich African countries. The high diversity plays key role in enhancing the fishery and aquaculture potential of Ethiopia.
Fisheries and aquaculture play a crucial role in food and nutrition security, employment creation, means of income generation, and improved livelihoods. In Ethiopia, over a million people are reported to be directly or indirectly engaged on the fisheries and aquaculture sector for their livelihood. However, as it stands now, this sector is contributing an insignificant amount to the country's GDP, though the assessment of the actual value and extent of fisheries value chain activities, goods, and services that are assessed in calculating the GDP is debatable.
As a result, the sector at large remained marginalized in terms of human capacity development as well as implementing proper management measures for its conservation. This condition is much worse at regional levels than at federal level, as the human resource and capacity and organizational structure appears to be weaker as we go to the different regions.
Reflecting on the contribution of fish and fish trade in Ethiopia, professor Abebe said that according to the recently completed Fisheries and Aquaculture Master Plan (FAMP), there has been a rise in local, regional export, international import fish markets, catering to both local and imported fresh and seafood products. These markets, largely located in Addis Ababa, trade both local and imported products, contributing to the economy and meeting the demand for fish products at both local and international levels. Other key markets include the Gambella dry fish market, the Gonder zone of the Amhara region, the Tendaho fish market, and the Lake Tana fish market in Bahir Dar.
Although the documentation of Ethiopian cross-border fish trade remains inadequate, the country imports significant quantities of fish from neighboring nations. It is noteworthy that some of these imports are subsequently re-exported to Sudan through the border with South Sudan. Most fish traders lack access to essential cold chains, including ice and insulated containers. However, only a few enterprises for fish handling and preservation are equipped with electricity and potable water.
It is now evident (FAMP, 2024) that Ethiopian fish exports have experienced a substantial growth, rising from 15 tons in 2012 to 720 tons in 2020. Similarly, the foreign earnings generated from fish exports have also seen a significant increase, rising from USD 57,000 to 361,000 during the same period. On the other hand, there is an upward trend in fish imports, which escalated from 345 tons in 2012 to 371 tons in 2020. Consequently, the expenditure on fish imports witnessed a corresponding increase, soaring from USD 517,000 to 1,183,000 within the given timeframe. Overall, it is important to note that the substantial amount of foreign exchange earnings is being lost due to the importation of fish.
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Various neighborhoods of Addis Ababa sizzle with the aroma of frying fish and steaming hot oil whenever Orthodox Christian fasting seasons arrive. During these times, both high-end restaurants and street vendors offering bite-sized meals increase their daily purchases of the finny prey.
With nearly 75pc of the capital’s dwindling supply of fish coming from lakes several hundreds of kilometers away (Tana, Hawassa, Langano, Abaya, and Chamo), a full inventory is rarely guaranteed.
The 32-year-old Aynalem Mulugeta, who used to make a living selling tomatoes and onions three years ago, took note of this unaddressed demand. He dedicated half of his 2,500 sqm field used to produce horticulture around Bole Bulbula Medhanialem to build an artificial lake.
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According to Steve Moran, there’s never been a better time to be producing fish in Africa.
“The demand is immense, population growth isn’t slowing down, there’s a huge animal protein deficit and tilapia has an incredible potential to fulfil that protein gap sustainably. As they’re omnivores they don’t need significant amounts of animal protein or fish oil in their feeds,” he says.
As the co-founder and group chief aquaculture officer for Victory Farms in Kenya and Kivu Choice in Rwanda – which are on track to produce 18,000 and 2,000 tonnes of tilapia this year respectively – as well as a former general manager of Tropo Farms in Ghana, Moran knows a thing or two about Nile tilapia and is a firm believer in the role the species can play in feeding the continent.
“We’ve built the largest fish farms in Kenya and Rwanda, and of course we’ve got plans to continue growing in both countries and beyond, but we’re still only just scratching the surface of the demand,” he reflects.
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