Aquaculture Africa 2024

November 19 - 22, 2024

Hammamet, Tunisia

THE EGYPTIAN AQUACULTURE SITUATION AND PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Sherif Sadek

Aquaculture Consultant Office, 11435 Maadi, Cairo, Egypt (aco_egypt@yahoo.com).



         Egyptian aquaculture has shared 78.7% of the total aquatic species landing, with over 1,576 thousand tons of finfish and shrimp in 2021, (99% from private farms and 1% from government farms), with a total market value of about $USD 4.22 billion (1 $USD = 15.74 Egyptian pounds-EGP) ((GAFRD,2012-2020 and LFRPDA, 2021)). The remaining of fish landing 21.3% percent are captured from the wild (Nile river, coastal lakes, inland lakes, Mediterranean Sea and Red sea) for a total production 426 thousand tons.  In the last 10 years (2012-2021) the aquaculture activity has been tremendously increased 54.8% percent, where in 2012 aquaculture production was 1,018 thousand tons and became around 1,576 thousand tons in 2021 versus the fisheries which have increased only 20.4% percent, where in 2012 fisheries production was 354 thousand tons and became 426 thousand tons.  The average yearly consumption of fish during 2012 to 2021 in Egypt has increased from 20.6 kg fish/capita in 2012 to 23.1 kg fish/capita in 2021. Most of fish farms are located in Delta region, with four different Egyptian aquaculture production system types (semi-intensive earthen ponds, cages, paddy field and intensive tanks, producing 87.1%, 12.4%, 0.4% and 0.1% respectively).   The main farmed fish species are (Tilapia, Mullet and Carp), ranking 61.2%, 22.3% and 9.2% respectively. The remaining species represent in total 7.3%, those species are catfish, marine finfish and shrimp.   In 2021 the total fry finfish/shrimp seeds produced from hatcheries were 900 million (76.6% shrimp and 23.4 % finfish). The total registered number of fresh and marine hatcheries have reached 136 (76% and 23% produced from the private and government sectors respectively), with more than 500 tilapia hatcheries from the private sector are not registered.  In addition, 50 million of mullet fry (Mugil cephalus, Liza ramada and Liza carinata) were collected from the wild. Different constraints and obstacles facing the Egyptian aquaculture industry (tilapia extruded feed 30% crude protein price has increased around three times in the last seven years from 9,100 EGP/ton in 2018 to 26,100 EGP/ton in 2024 due for the use of imported ingredients feed. In addition, the US dollar exchange rate rose to EGP 48.4 in 2024 compared to EGP 17.80 in 2018 due to the flotation decision. Also other shortage in marine finfish fry; the far distance between the academic research with real field problems and preventing 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 optimizing water productivity through multiple use of water with encouraging the Integrated Agriculture 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; facilitating 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. Also, the presentation will report a deep point of view for a future Egyptian aquaculture production sustainable predictions.