Country Profile
Egypt is the leading aquaculture producer in Africa, generating 1.6 million tons of fish annually, valued at USD 3.5 billion. Aquaculture accounts for 80% of fish production, primarily from private farms. The sector employs approximately 300,000 people. Egypt faces climate change impacts like water scarcity, drought, and extreme heat, making a resilient aquatic foods sector essential for economic stability and addressing issues like food insecurity, gender inequality, unemployment, and malnutrition.
WorldFish’s Support
WorldFish has operated a regional research and training center in Egypt since 1997. WorldFish supports aquaculture development in Egypt and Africa through innovations such as GIFT and climate-smart systems, focusing on transforming Egypt into a model for African aquaculture.
Key Initiatives
- Genetic Improvement: Further development of the Abbassa strain of Nile tilapia, adding resilience to the breeding program.
- Feed Research: Developing new feed ingredients, improving feed efficiency, and providing best management practice training.
- Fish Health: Investigating new disease issues affecting Egyptian fish farms.
- Improving Fish Markets: Organizing group-based organizations of informal retailers, enhancing product development, and improving postharvest handling.
- Managing the Africa Aquaculture Research and Training Hub: Serving as a regional center of excellence for genetics research and training in best management practices.
Fast Facts
- Fish provides 25.3% of average household protein intake.
- Tilapia is the most farmed fish species.
- 260,000 people have exited poverty through WorldFish initiatives.
Enabling Impact
Water scarcity challenges aquaculture expansion. The Advancing Climate-Smart Aquaculture Technologies (ACliSAT) project concluded in 2023, promoting water-efficient culture systems and improved practices for Nile tilapia. ACliSAT supported 1,000 farmers, trained 45 local experts, and improved postharvest practices, with 75% of results in Egypt.
WorldFish launched the Empowering Women Fish Retailers (EWFIRE) Project in 2018, supporting vulnerable women retailers and processors in Sharkia Governorate. The project created 400 jobs, established 50 new enterprises, and improved profitability for 150 retailers.
The Center for Renewable Energy in Aquaculture (CeREA) project, in partnership with the Royal Norwegian Embassy, aims to develop and scale renewable energy solutions, benefiting 5,000 fish producers by 2027.
WorldFish explores climate-smart solutions like integrated aquaculture-agriculture (IAA) and the In-pond Raceway System (IPRS) to enhance productivity and sustainability, improving water use efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Moving Forward
Egypt is adopting solar-powered, climate-smart aquaculture systems, revolutionizing fish farming with efficient and sustainable techniques. The Soybean Excellence Center (SEC) at WorldFish’s Abbassa facility offers training and capacity-building for small-scale farmers, enhancing technical skills and innovative practices.
WorldFish's initiatives support improved food and nutrition security, gender equality, reduced food waste, and energy-efficient, climate-smart food value chains in Egypt and Africa.
Partners
- Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt
- Agricultural Research Center (ARC)
- Lakes and Fish Resources Protection and Development Agency (LFRPDA)
- Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research (CLAR)
- Ministry of Marine Resources, Eritrea (MMR)
- Faculty of Fish Resources of Suez University
- Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
Donors
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- Royal Norwegian Embassy in Cairo
- European Commission (EuropeAid)
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)
- Soybean Excellence Center (USSEC)
Contact
Ahmed Nasr-Allah, Country Representative, WorldFish – Egypt
Abbassa, Abou-Hammad, Sharkia 44662, EGYPT
+20 553168821
worldfish-egypt@cgiar.org