Endowed with a range of water bodies including rivers and lakes, Ethiopia has so far not benefited out of the fishery production it deserves.
Taking the significance of fishery and other bounties of water bodies into account, The Ethiopian Herald had a stay with Asnake Gobena, an agro-economist graduated from Addis Ababa University, to have a highlight about the fishery and its related undertakings, as well as the benefit it has granted the nation in due course of ensuring food security across the nation peculiarly in areas at the vicinity of water bodies from which fish production is inevitable.
He said, “Not only does fish provide high-value protein but it is also an important source of a wide range of essential micro-nutrients, minerals and fatty acid. In Ethiopia, fish consumption status is diverse in a different part of the country and has faced challenges in terms of accessibility within a large group of population.”
The socioeconomic importance of fish production and consumption status in Ethiopia needs to be well focused as the fast-growing human population, rising incomes and urbanization are increasing fish consumption pattern from time to time has to be met he said.
Especially for the poor residing at the vicinity of rivers and lakes, fish is the only and an important source of a rich animal protein that plays a significant role in various health, environmental, social advantages and nutritional values. So, to increase fish consumption status and to improving its integration into the diet of most of the population in day to day consumption pattern, government agencies, private sector, and all fish related occupational organizations should emphasis on a wide awareness creation by providing training and mass advertising campaigns, he underlined.
Providing adequate food for a rapidly increasing human population is one of the greatest challenges these days. To be more specific, seafood bases play an important role in filling the nutritional requirements of human beings, as to him.
“Even globally fish consumption rates are growing faster than the global population growth, because of increased incomes and awareness of the health benefits associated with consuming fish, as well as rising urbanization. In addition to directly providing high-quality food, fisheries and aqua-cultures create economic value through the production, trade, and marketing of wild and farmed fish,” he added.
According to Asnake, the Ethiopian economy is heavily dependent on the agricultural sector that challenged with poor cultivation practices and frequent drought. Being the dominant sector, agriculture contributes about 46.3% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 60% of exports, 98% of the total calorie supply, 70% of industrial raw material suppliers and 80% of total employment.
From agricultural sectors fish have a significant role for the fishing community on their livelihood security. The rapidly growing demand for fish in the capital city by foreigners and modern town-dwellers contributed to the start of commercial fishing as a new practice in Rift Valley lakes and in Lake Tana. Spending on fisheries capacity building is an area of rural development as it plays a fundamental role in creating employment opportunities, providing dietary preferences for the middle-income consumer group, and meeting nutritional needs of the poor.
As its high nutritional value, fish is highly recommended as a dietary component for both the young and the old. However, fish consumption preferences are affected by the consumer’s geographic, social and cultural characteristics, socioeconomic background, food consumption patterns, personal health status, attitudinal dimensions, society, age, household income and education level. The socioeconomic contribution and consumption status of fish production status in Ethiopia is minimal, indeed, he added.
Fishing plays an important role in the livelihood security of the community through both direct consumption and income generation. Fish is often considered to be a ‘rich food for poor peoples. So, it significantly contributes to food security and cash income which is ultimately used for the purchase of a variety of food items. Obviously, fish consumption per head per year of Ethiopia is very low as compared with the rest of sub-Saharan countries due to poor in integrating fish into the diet, lack of accessibility and Fish and fishery products remain the most well-traded food items, he opened.
The sector is good as the source of income, food and job creation. Trade is also crucial to the fisheries sector, especially in the least advanced economies like Ethiopia, through the creation of employment, supplying food, generating income, and thus contributing to maintaining food and nutrition security.
Fish consumption has various health, environmental, social advantages and an important part of a healthy diet over other terrestrial animal meat.
It is an important source of energy and protein, comparable to or better than many terrestrial types of meat. Furthermore, fish meat has been stated to improve intelligence, treat skin conditions, improve brain development and decrease risk of heart diseases, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetics and others.
As to him, fish production has been practiced since ancient Egypt and China. It has become a fast-growing agricultural sector that provides animal protein for most people globally. Because the region has such water resource potential and incredible fish species diversity, the aquaculture needs to be established and popularized.
“Fish farming has been practiced in different parts of the world, particularly East Asia, China, Europe, Canada, Africa, and developing countries like Nigeria. It has been in practice in our country, too. The fisheries sector remains an important source of food, nutrition, income, and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people across the globe,” he said.
With more focus on the nutritional value of food commodities, fish is acknowledged as a major nutrient-rich animal food source for a significant proportion of the nutritionally vulnerable people, overshadowing that of most of the terrestrial animal foods, he opined.
As to Asnake, the contribution of fishery activities to national economies is multifaceted. In addition to supplying food, the fishery sector contributes to GDP; provides livelihoods for fishers and processors; is a source of hard currency; and boosts government revenues through fisheries agreements and taxes.
In Ethiopia, fish comes exclusively from inland water bodies including lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs, and substantial wetlands that are of great socioeconomic, ecological, and scientific importance. Fishing has been the main source of protein supply for many Ethiopians, particularly for those who are residing in close proximity to major water bodies such as Lakes Tana, Ziway, Hawassa, Chamo, and Baro River.
According to Asnake, the overall potential yield of fish in Ethiopian water bodies is estimated to be 94,500 tons per year on average. Water bodies located in the Rift Valley show signs of over exploitation, whereas those located in remote areas with poor infrastructure which make up the majority remain underutilized. Hence, the existing role of the fishery is insignificant in the country’s overall economy because the fishery sector in the country is far below its potential. The current production is still far below the estimated potential yield, which suggests the possibility for further expansion of the fishery.
As the presence of sufficient freshwater bodies may signify indirect fish availability, Gambella is endowed with several inland water resources including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and huge floodplain areas but contributed far less to national fish production and marketing. Therefore, the major factors which could possibly contribute to the low fish production and how the fish market is oriented in the region has to be well underlined.
Fish consumption varies greatly depending on the quality and quantity of fish supply available for consumption. Ethiopians have no tradition of consuming large quantities of fish, rather highly committed to rearing and consuming farm animals. The fact that most Ethiopians are not actively involved in fish consumption may also be a reason for them to have little participation in fish production.
It is true that when a product is no longer demanded by the consumers (customers), the trader would not supply it anymore and shift to other products in demand. Of the big rivers and lakes found in the country, a Baro-Akobo basin is the most diverse in terms of fish diversity and its floodplain is the largest one in the country. Although local people exploit the river system on a subsistence basis, they utilize it to fulfill their daily food requirements.
In sum, all sources of the fish farming have to be well exploited to help the nation secure food security, he said.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 10 JANUARY 2024
