Will The New Large-Scale Aquaculture Projects Make Egypt Self Sufficient In Fish Supplies?

The first modern semi-intensive commercial farm was built by the Government in 1961. FAO fisheries statistics for 2015 indicate that of the Egyptian total production from all sources 1.2 million tonnes (78%) are from aquaculture. Furthermore, the fisheries trade statistics show a negative balance of trade as Egypt imported in 2015 almost 500 000 tonnes of seafood commodities at the cost of US $ 768.4 million while exporting only about 32 900 tonnes valued at US $ 31.7 million causing a drain on hard currencies as well as the prices of seafood commodities in the local markets increased substantially. With a population rapidly increasing reaching 104 million people in 2017, low employment, rising fish prices, increasing imports of seafood commodities and other serious developmental activities, the Government decided to embark on large-scale integrated fin fish and shrimp aquaculture projects which aim at becoming self-sufficient, minimize imports, job creation, reduce seafood prices in the local market and export high value species to earn hard currencies. Two such major projects were recently established: One at Birkat Ghalioun in the Egyptian Nile Delta region along the Mediterranean Sea and the other is along the East Suez Canal zone. The question remains, however, if these two mega projects, when fully implemented, along with other small-scale aquaculture projects across Egypt would actually achieve the developmental objectives these projects promise as well as reduce prices of fish to local consumers?

Keywords:

Aquaculture; Eygpt,

PDF

___

1. Al-Ahram Daily Newspaper; Birkat Ghalioun Aquaculture Project; 17, 19 & 24 November 2017; Cairo, Egypt; http://www.ahram.org.eg/NewsQ/624473.aspx. & http://www.ahram.org.eg/NewsQ/623532.aspx.
2. Al-Ahram Daily Newspaper; East Suez Canal Aquaculture Project; 11/ September 2016 & 9 January 2017; Cairo, Egypt. http://www.ahram.org.eg/NewsQ/623065.aspx
3. Central Agency for Public Mobilization, Statistics (CAPMAS), 2017. Egypt in Figures. http://www.capmas.gov.eg/
4. Egypt Council of Ministers, Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC); December 2017; Video: https://youtu.be/rIFROjMvEx0
5. FAO - Fisheries and Aquaculture Information and Statistics Branch - 14/07/2017; Rome, Italy. http://www.fao.org/.
6. FAO GLOBEFISH Highlights; Tilapia in Egypt: Towards new Horizons; Rome, Italy, 2014; http://www.fao.org/in-action/globefish/market-assets/en/.
7. FAO, 2017. Regional review on status and trends in aquaculture development in the Near East and North Africa – 2015, by Abdel-Fattah M. El-Sayed. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular No. 1135/6. Rome, Italy.
8. General Authority for Fisheries Resource Development (GAFRD), 2013-2015. Aquaculture projects and related activities. http://www.gafrd.org/ .
9. Feidi, I.: Egypt: A New Milestone in Aquaculture Growth; INFOSAMAK International, No.1 2017; Casablanca, Morocco.
10. Feidi, I: Expansion of aquaculture projects to boost seafood production: Arab World Agribusiness Magazine Vol.23/ No.6, 2016; Manama, Bahrain.
11. Feidi, I. Opportunities to Increase Seafood Supplies to Arab Fish Markets; Arab World Agribusiness Magazine, Vol. 33/No. 8, 2017; Manama, Bahrain.
12. Feidi, I. The Market for Seafood in the Area of Greater Cairo, Egypt; INFOSAMAK; Casablanca, Morocco; April 2004.
13. Macfadyen, G et al. 2011. Value Chain Analysis of Egyptian Aquaculture. Project Report 2011- 54. The WorldFish Center. Penang, Malaysia. 84 pp. 14. Macfadyen, G., Nasr-Allah, A., and Dickson, M. 2012. The Market for Egyptian Farmed Fish. WorldFish Center, Egypt. X pp. 15. Megahed, Mohamed E.; Applied Commercial Breeding Program for Nile Tilapia; National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Gulfs of Suez & Aqaba's Branch; Egypt; Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) website, Monday, 30 October 2017.