We are all eating more fish nowadays — except in Africa. Fish farming has been around in sub-Saharan Africa for more than half a century, yet still contributes little to the region’s food and nutrition security.
Catching more fish isn’t really an option, as most wild stocks are fully exploited if not depleted, while imports have become increasingly costly. The way forward is fish farming.
Egypt produces over one million tons of farmed fish, supplying 60 percent of all fish eaten by its people. It is by far the cheapest source of animal protein, affordable to all but the very poorest. Egyptian aquaculture took off in the 1980s and employing over 100,000 people and providing each Egyptian around one fish per week. It produces two-thirds of the farmed fish on the African continent despite the fact that Egypt is desperately short of water and suitable land for fish farming, while temperatures are too low for fish growth in winter.
Catching more fish isn’t really an option, as most wild stocks are fully exploited if not depleted, while imports have become increasingly costly. The way forward is fish farming.
Egypt produces over one million tons of farmed fish, supplying 60 percent of all fish eaten by its people. It is by far the cheapest source of animal protein, affordable to all but the very poorest. Egyptian aquaculture took off in the 1980s and employing over 100,000 people and providing each Egyptian around one fish per week. It produces two-thirds of the farmed fish on the African continent despite the fact that Egypt is desperately short of water and suitable land for fish farming, while temperatures are too low for fish growth in winter.
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