Sources of reliable information on the fishery are few and their value is difficult to assess. The consultant considered the data derived from official records, interviewed fishermen and traders, and made whatever general observations were possible - these included a boat trip over those parts of the open-lake accessible to an inflatable dinghy with outboard motor.
Employment in the fishery is treated as a casual, part-time occupation by many of the fishermen with seasonal agricultural work supplementing their income. It has not been possible to discover how many of the registered fishermen are active and to what proportion their income from fishing contributes to their household budgets.
The fishery is carried out from an estimated 1,500 small, plankconstructed, open boats, crewed by up to three fishermen. These are sailed with a simple lateen rig or poled through the shallow water. Fishing is predominantly by trammel nets with a mesh size 80 mm (outer) and 40 mm (inner). Small wire traps are also used. About 80% of the total lake catch is from day fishing and the remainder from night fishing. The major fish species which are present and exploited in the fishery are tilapias (82%), mostly Oreochromis niloticus with some Oreochromis aureus; mullet (3.5%) (Mugil capito and M. cephalus) (12.5%), and eels (Anguilla vulgaris) (0.5%). Of these fish groups the mullet, both as adults and small stages, and eels represent an alloch-thonous input from the sea. Enquiries were unable to define with any precision the seasonality of the species, but in general landings are higher in the summer months and lowest in the winter period.
The catch is landed at numerous (ca. 20) landings scattered around the lake perimeter. Of these some 8 have major significance. These are apparently not recorded or mapped by the Fisheries Department. The consultant team visited the major landing at Halt Beheira. This landing apparently conformed to the general patterns of the landings around the lake. The access from the lake was a simple channel through the reeds, partially chocked by growths of sub-aquatics, which present little problem to the passage of the boats. Wholesalers had established four trading offices and there was piped water available. Apart from these very basic requirements there was no amelioration of the muddy and fly-ridden environment associated with the lack of hard-standing, waste disposal and latrine facilities, etc.
The Halt Beheira landing appeared to be the base for some 100–150 boats and was stated to support some 1 000 fishermen. Four wholesalers have established trading rooms at the site.
The tilapias which make up the bulk of the catch are sold at the landings for LE 2.00/kg for fish of 400 g size; small tilapias in the size-range 100–200 g sell for LE 1.00–1.40/kg; mullets fetch LE 3.00/kg. There is an apparent 100–150% increase in price between the fisherman and the consumer.
The roles of the wholesaler and trader in the commercialization of the fish were difficult to define. There is, however, a current Government campaign to control prices in the basic food sectors and in consequence to control the activities of the ‘middleman’. The wholesalers act as auctioneers for 8–10% commission on sales, although this function was not observed at the lakeside landings. Also, they give financial support to the fishermen where this support is not forthcoming from the cooperatives. The mature of the fisherman-wholesaler relationship was not defined, but it can be assumed to follow a pattern of financial aid, as unsecured loans, in return for a loose association between fisherman and trader. Such arrangements are general in mature and stable commercial relationships of established fisheries. The demand for the catch is apparently good, with much of the catch being sold locally. There will be some competition with the large quantities of fish landed at Maadia from the sardine fishing fleet. The level of competition with alternative sources of fish is reflected in the occasional use of ice to maintain freshness of the fish landed and transported, indicating that there is a premium for quality in the local market. There appeared to be little treatment of the fish before sale as whole, ungutted fish are preferred by the consumer.
If it is assumed that 4 000 fishermen earn half of their income from fishing (this total includes licensed and unlicenced fishermen), at an average rate of LE 3–5/ day (equivalent to about 3 kg of fish landed), the fishing will generate a total gross income of LE 2–3.5 million each year. This income of Le 80–140/month will be available to the least skilled and poorest paid social groups. If a figure of 8 individuals per household is accepted as the average for the locality, this offtake from the lake will provide a gross income of approximately LE 5–9/month per caput throughout the year. Excluded from this assessment is the value of the fish taken home for consumption within the fishermen's household.
Fishermen costs are relatively low. A boat costs LE 300 and lasts approximately 3 years. Nets (e.g., trammel) cost approximately LE 3.00/m length with fleets ranging from 50 to 200 m. Replacements are required about once a season. A simple assessment would suggest that each fisherman is involved in gear replacement costs of some LE 30–200 each year. (It was not possible to verify these facts from alternative sources of information.) It did not prove possible to identify and quantify the various elements in the marketing chain. However, Table 3 provides an assessment of the likely economic conditions of the fishery based on the enquiries that were made at both Lake Edku and at Alexandria.
If the open water area is accepted to be 70 km2, the official catch statistics for 1983 and 1984 indicate an overall yield of about 1 000 kg/ha/year. Although it is possible that the total productive area is 100% greater than the observable open water area, this indicated productivity is still surprisingly high.
| Sector | Annual value for 3 estimates of total yield (LE) | ||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | |
| 2 500 t | 3 000 t | 7 000 t* | |
1. FISHERMEN | |||
Total value at LE 1 500/kg | 3 750 000 | 4 500 000 | 10 500 000 |
Gross income/fisherman/month | 80 | 90 | 220 |
2. WHOLESALER/TRADERS | |||
Total value at 10% lakeside value | 373 000 | 450 000 | 1 050 000 |
Gross income/trader/month | 1 120 | 1 340 | 2 080 |
3. RETAILERS** | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
4. CONSUMERS | |||
Total value assumed 100% on lakeside price | 7 500 000 | 9 000 000 | 21 000 000 |
* Approximation from Fisheries Department records: precision doubtful due to the calculated 1 000 kg/ha/year that this value represents.
** The number of retailers could not be ascertained. It is assumed that the retailer's profit margin is in the order of 50% of the price paid to the traders.
On the assumption that 4,000 fishermen (estimates vary between 1 000 and 5 000) are employed on the lake half-time (a 180 day-year) and on average will bring 3 kg of fish back each trip, a yield of 2 160 t/year for the whole lake or 216 kg/ha/year for a possible 100 km2 of productive area can be estimated. Yields of this size would be anticipated from highly productive natural waters in this sub-tropical climatic zone. In view of the paucity of accurate data, the consultant would suggest an acceptable guestimate figure for the present overall yield would likely be of the order of 250 kg/ha/year. This figure would take into account the relatively small (ca. 4 % of the total) yield derived from production outside the lake area.
Although the Barsik Fish Farm provides year-round labour to approximately 40–50 individuals, with additional labour during the period of harvest, this probably has little impact on the local economy. The labourers are paid the Government wage rate of LE 3.00/day.
As the Barsik Farm is a new production unit which still has to reach the full target production levels, it is difficult to comment on its present contribution to the fish supplies for the local urban areas. The harvest is marketed through Government Agencies (in Damanhour and Alexandria), but no records are available on quantities, destinations or prices.
The ponds are managed on a 6-month production cycle. In 1983, the first year of partial production, the farm produced a total of 150 t from a production area of 240 ha (625 kg/ha/year). In 1984 the production area increased to 568 ha into a harvest equivalent to 1 t/ha/year. With a mixed crop of tilapias, mullets and carp, an average sale price of LE 2.00/kg can be assumed. This would imply a gross annual income of LE 1.25 million if the full production capacity is used to the same level of production as achieved in the 1984 season.
The farm is Government managed and funded, and the harvest is sold through Government Agencies with the proceeds passing to Central Government funds. Without records of costs and receipts it is not possible to assess the economic viability of such a farm or the degree of economic efficiency achieved.
Enquiries revealed that there was a considerable focus of ill-health from parasitic diseases among the fishing community. Of particular importance was the incidence of bilharzia. This disease caused by Schistosoma infects about 30% of the population of Edku town (ca. 150,000) and some 75% of the fishermen. The fluke Heterophyllus, which is endemic to the locality, affects about 50% of the fishermen. The incidence of amoebic dysentery is some 100% . Ascaris worms are found in about 25% of the fishing population and the Trichurus hookworm is 10%. There is some Strongyloides but no Ankylostoma hookworm. There has been an overall reduction in the incidence of most parasitic diseases over the last decade. Ascaris has been reduced by 50% and the deficiency disease pellagra (vitamin B1) has practically disappeared.
The improvement in the general health of the fishing community, which although still not good, has been put down to a better education and improvement in diet and habits of hygiene.
The major environmental risk to the fishermen is the presence of the Schistosoma host snails (bulinids and planorbids) in the submerged vegetation which is abundant close to the shore at the boat landings. As the fishermen are continually wading in these shallow waters they are at constant risk to infection and reinfection. The permanently muddy wet areas where the fishermen work on landing their catch and the general tendency to work in bare feet, provide ideal conditions for the infection by hook-worms. In addition, the local habit of half roasting fish (especially mullet) with the viscera in place and the consumption of the half-cooked flesh allows infection by the flukes carried by the fish.
