Stocking based fishery enhancement programmes in Ethiopia

Fishery and aquaculture play an enormous role in reducing poverty and alleviating food insecurity at household level. The first fish stocking program in Ethiopia was reported as early as 1925. Indigenous Oreochromis niloticus, Tilapia zilli, Clarias gariepinus and non-native Cyprinus carpio, Carassius carassius, Carassius auratus, Ctenopharyngodon idella and Salmo trutta fish species were used for stocking. Even though most of the fishery enhancement programs are low-cost operations, they often seem to be very efficient actions. Fish harvested in the reservoirs Fincha and Amerti in Oromia region, lakes Haik and Ardibo in Amhara region and Hashengie in Tigray region, enhanced by stocking, contribute up to 15% of the annual fish production of the country. Thus fisheries programs challenging the growing protein-rich food demand should be considered as a necessary and valuable aspect of management strategy in all waters, independently from its major operational goal like hydropower or irrigation.