Fish and fisheries in the Nile Delta

Abstract

The Nile Delta lagoons (coastal lagoons), namely, Lake Maryut, Lake Edku, Lake Burullus, and Lake Manzala, and the Nile River, are the major inland fisheries in Egypt. Twenty commercial freshwater species belonging to seven families inhabit the Nile and its tributaries, and some of them are also living in the coastal lagoons. Eleven commercial marine species belonging to seven families also inhabit the coastal lagoons. The annual fish production from natural fisheries has been stable at about 300,000 to 400,000 mt during the past two decades. Different fishing gears, including gill nets, trammel nets, cast nets, surrounding seines, drift nets, and traps, are widely used in Nile Delta lakes and inland waters. Other methods, such as Tara, Hosha, Doura, Shelp, eel nets, mullet nets, Lokkafa, and Kerba, are also used in the coastal lagoons. On the other hand, aquaculture has been sharply expanding during the same period, contributing 75% to total fish production in Egypt in 2013. Semi-intensive aquaculture in earthen ponds is the most important farming system in the Nile Delta region. Intensive culture in floating cages, earthen ponds, and concrete tanks is also widely spreading. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the most important farmed fish species, followed by mullets and carps. The major challenges and threats facing Nile Delta fisheries are land runoffs with heavy pollution, anthropogenic activities, invasive species, and illegal fishing practices. Management plans and necessary measures have been suggested.