INTEGRATED AQUACULTURE

In 2009, a project is being performed by Wageningen International, in collabotation with the Embassy and commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), on integrated aquaculture (fish farming) in Egypt. This project exists by a mission in May 2009 and a seminar in the autumn of 2009 (date to be announced). The goal is to formulate recommendations for the application of integrated aquaculture in Egypt. Compared to the current aquaculture, integrated culture will be more efficient in water use, by re-using for other agricultural purposes.

BACKGROUND

Egypt has a rapidly expanding population and the government is concerned with future food security. The Nile is the nation’s only renewable source of fresh water and this forms a bottle neck that sets limits to agriculture and its future expansion. Making use of this limited resource in the most efficient way is of great importance for Egypt (and for other countries with limited fresh water supplies). Egypt has large fish consumption and a major part of the country’s fish supply is already the result of aquaculture, especially the farming of tilapia (> 450.000 tons in the past year). Expansion of fish production can only come from the expansion of aquaculture because the catches from natural resources have already reached the limits of the carrying capacity of the marine and freshwater fish stocks. The improved integration of aquaculture (fish farming) into existing farming practices may offer the opportunity to expand fish production without demanding a greater share of the fresh water resource. In addition to water also nutrients will be used more efficiently in an integrated system. Practices in other parts of the world have shown that both agriculture and aquaculture can benefit from improved integration as result of

synergic effects.

MISSION IN MAY 2009: GOALS

Wageningen International has been commissioned by the Ministry of LNV to execute BOCI project nr BO-10-006-111 “Integrated aquaculture Egypt”. The aim of this project is to asses the present state of integrated aquaculture in Egypt, and to identify opportunities for (improved) integration. This mission is the start of the project, and has as main objectives:

• To obtain an overview of present activities with regard to integrated aquaculture by talking with key informants;
• To see which sub-sections of Egyptian agriculture offer opportunities for integrated aquaculture. Opportunities could be in the form of:
• availability of waste products that could be useful inputs in aquaculture;
• need for water and fertilizer water that could be supplied by aquaculture;
• Identify the most promising types of integrated aquaculture under Egyptian conditions.

Click  here for a full report of the mission.

SEMINAR: DATE AND PLACE TO BE ANOUNCED