Egyptian fish farms have shared 80.5% of the total fish landing, with over 1,592 thousand tons of finfish and shrimp in 2020 , ( 99% from private farms and 1% from government farms) , with a total market value of about $USD 3.8 billion (1 $USD = 16.22 Egyptian pounds) (GAFRD, 2022). The remaining of fish landing 19.5 % percent are captured from the wild (Nile river, coastal and inland lakes, Mediterranean and Red sea) for a total production 418 thousand tons. In the last 10 years (2011-2020) the aquaculture activity has been tremendously increased 62.0% percent, where in 2011 aquaculture production was 986 thousand tons and beca me around 1,592 thousand tons in 2020 versus the fisheries which have increased only 12 % percent, where in 2011 fisheries production was 375 thousand ton s and became 419 thousand tons. The average yearly consumption of fish during 2011 to 2020 in Egypt has developed and increased from 16.5 kg fish/capita in 2010 to 22.7 kg fish/capita in 2020. Most of fish farms are located in Delta region, with four different Egyptian aquaculture production system types (earthen ponds, cages, paddy field and intensive tanks, producing 86.9 %, 12.6% , 0.4% and 0.1% respectively) . The main farmed f ish species are (Tilapia, Mullet and Carp) , ranking 61%, 20% and 12% respectively. The remaining species represent in total 7%, those species are catfish, marine finfish and shrimp. In 2020 the total fry finfish/shrimp seeds produced from hatcheries were 674 million and 47 million of mullet fry were collected from the wild. The total registered number of fresh and marine hatcheries have reached 103, with more than 500 tilapia hatcheries are not registered.
Different constraints and obstacles facing the Egyptian aquaculture industry ( tilapia extruded feed 25% C rude Protein price has increased 55% in the last years from 660US$/ton in 2012 to 1,020US$/ton in April, 2023 due for the use of imported ingredients feed which has a very large impact on the economy of the country ; scarcity of good water quality resources; s hortage in marine finfish fry; the far distance between the academic research and real field problems and p reventing the export of aquaculture product to the European Union due for non-completing the EU requirements.
The Egyptian aquaculture industry can develop rapidly in the coming decades if the government and NGO bodies could o ptimizing water productivity through multiple use of water with e ncouraging the I ntegrated A griculture Aquaculture concepts ; high quality of fry; enhancing high quality low cost formulated feed , adopting the use of renewable energy mainly solar energy; high labor skill; approved aquatic drugs; adopting of innovating modern technologies; determining the cultured fish and shrimp new candidates; following up the value production chain; support the capacity building of the aquaculture stakeholders; developing a Best Management Practices with achieving the applied scientific research; orienting the E-marketing; f acilitating access to the private aquaculture farms for soft loans; enabling gender participation, facilitating the procedures for licensing aquaculture projects with all concerned authorities and provide extension services to improve the sustainability aquaculture.
Key words
Egypt, Aquaculture, Fisheries, Tilapia, Hatchery, Extruded feed, Value chain, Stakeholders.