Commercial mariculture of Oreochromis niloticus using net cages

The culture of tilapia has a long history in Africa. Fossil remains of members of the genus have been found which are about 18 million years old (Fryer and Iles, 1972). Oreochromis niloticus was the subject of detailed observations in Egypt of 5,000 years ago. A bas relief of 2,500B.C. depicts tilapia being reared in ponds in Egypt. However, despite this long history the prolific nature of this fish results in very high populations in pond culture systems. Consequently small size fish are harvested. Several methods have thus been tried to control the excessive reproduction of tilapia in captivity with only partial success. This paper reports how large size tilapia especially O. niloticus averaging at least 150g per piece can be commercially produced using floating net cages in the marine environmen

Value chain analysis of the Egyptian aquaculture feed industry

The commercial aquaculture feed industry in Egypt is growing at a rapid rate. As a result, the number of fish feed mills has increased from just 5 mills producing about 20,000 t per year in 1999, to over 60 mills with a current production estimate of 800,000–1,000,000 t/year. The performance of the aquafeed industry in Egypt is not well understood, as the value chain structure has not yet been mapped. This study aims to assess the status of the fish feed sector in Egypt, with an emphasis on: mapping and understanding fish feed value chains, describing the main actors and stakeholders within the chain, assessing value chain performance, identifying major strengths and weakness of the sector, and suggesting appropriate actions, management and development strategies

Analysis of the retailer value chain segment in five governorates

This study is the third output of the SDC-funded “Improving Employment and Income through Development of Egyptian Aquaculture” (IEIDEAS), a three-year project being jointly implemented by the WorldFish Center and CARE International in Egypt with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. The aim of the study is to gather data on the retailer segment of the aquaculture value chain in Egypt, namely on the employment and market conditions of the women fish retailers in the five target governorates. In addition, this study provides a case study in Minya and Fayoum of the current income levels and standards of living of this target group. Finally, the study aims to identify the major problems and obstacles facing these women retailers and suggest some relevant interventions

The future of tilapia culture in Nigeria

The culture of tilapia is assuming a greater importance globally. However, Nigeria's contribution to global production is insignificant. Although Egypt and Nigeria were the only African countries that had record of tilapia production in 1950, Egypt has left Nigeria far behind. The problem of prolific breeding still persists in our farm, making it difficult to raise tilapia to a good market size. The paper reviews Nigeria fish production, supply and demand forces and the contributions of leading tilapia producers; namely China, Thailand, Indonesia Egypt to mention a few. It reiterates some of the credentials of tilapia that makes it a good candidate for culture, the species for culture and the place of tilapia in the world fish market. The paper examines some of the limiting factor hindering the development of tilapia Industry and ways of mitigating such factors

Fish sensitization in a group of allergic Egyptian children

Background: There are no published data on fish allergy in Egypt. Objective: We sought to screen for the frequency of fish sensitization in a group of atopic Egyptian infants and children in relation to their demographic and phenotypic data. Methods: We consecutively enrolled 87 allergic children; 1-15 years old (median 5.0 yr). The study measurements included clinical evaluation for the site and duration of allergy, possible precipitating factors, and family history of allergy as well as skin prick testing with a commercial fish extract, and serum fish specific and total IgE estimation. Results: Twelve subjects (13.8%) were sensitized to fish as evidenced by positive skin prick test (SPT) results; five (41.7%) of them gave a history suggestive of fish allergy compared to two (2.7%) of the non-sensitized children (p=0.00). The SPT results did not vary significantly with age, gender, family history of atopy, or serum total or fish specific IgE (SpIgE). Conclusion: Fish sensitization does not seem to be rare in atopic children in Egypt. It can be associated with any clinical form of allergy and the causal relationship needs meticulous evaluation. Wider scale population-based studies are needed to assess the prevalence of fish allergy and its clinical correlates in our country.Keywords: fish allergy; sensitization; skin prick test; specific IgE; children; EgyptEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2013;11(1):23-2

The role of farmed fish in the diets of the resource-poor in Egypt.

The Egyptian aquaculture industry provides more than 100,000 full-time or part-time jobs and produces the country’s least-expensive farmed animal protein. Thus, aquaculture plays an important role in both sustaining livelihoods and improving the diet quality and nutritional health of Egyptians, including a significant proportion of the 25.5% who are resource-poor. Recognizing this dual role, WorldFish has promoted sustainable growth in Egyptian aquaculture for more than 20 years. Through its work, WorldFish has identified a lack of quality data about fish consumption preferences and practices. Eager to fill this knowledge gap, WorldFish partnered with the Environment and Development Group (EDG) to study consumption of fish, red meat and poultry among the resource-poor in Egypt. This study aimed to characterize current consumer preferences for and consumption patterns of animal-source foods, comparing red meat, poultry and fish. The resulting data is meant to contribute to a better understanding of what drives demand for fish among the resource-poor in Egypt, allowing value chain actors to more successfully market their products to this segment of the population

Characterisation of production, marketing and consumption patterns of farmed tilapia in the Nile Delta of Egypt

AbstractEgypt has one of the world’s largest aquaculture sectors which makes a significant contribution to income, employment creation and food security. However, there are very limited data available on the farmed tilapia value chain. The aim of this study therefore was to characterise production, marketing and consumption patterns of farmed tilapia in the Nile Delta of Egypt. A cross sectional study was conducted to collect data from tilapia producers (100), transporters (32), retailers (100), fish fry shops (20) and households (300) in three case study communities (fish producing, peri-urban and rural community). We conducted structured questionnaire interviews and participatory assessments for producers and consumers. Focus group discussions with mothers were also held to collect data for the availability, sources and consumption patterns of tilapia.Results showed that, more than half of producers were small scale, having a farm size of 10feddan or less (1feddan=4200m2). The main water supply for almost all farms was agricultural drain water, a potential source of contamination with chemical and biological hazards. The main production constraints were reported to be feed prices, water quality and availability, land rent, fuel and energy sources and environmental conditions. The farmed tilapia value chain was short with some value added in the form of marketing fresh and live fish as well as selling tilapia in fried or grilled form. The majority of produced tilapia was transported to retail sale and sold to consumers as fresh, while only a small proportion was processed by cleaning, grilling or frying. A lack of hygiene during transportation and marketing of farmed tilapia was found that could be potential sources for post-harvesting contamination. The availability and frequency of tilapia consumption were higher in the community in the production areas than in other communities. In non-producing areas, tilapia may be available in the market once a week during the village market day. Potential areas for further research in order to improve safety, quality and production of farmed tilapia were identified

Garbage Beam

Located in a hot desert climate area prone to strong winds, Egypt is made up of many homes with little to no roofing leaving civilians exposed to the harsh elements. The overarching goal of this project is to provide these homes with efficient and affordable roofing using concrete with common garbage materials as reinforcement. Through preliminary testing and tensile testing it was possible to narrow the focus down to two reinforcement materials: fish netting and plastic grocery bags. From there final beam testing and pull out testing successfully demonstrated the promise of these materials. With this, however, it is still important to continue research on the materials and improve on the design in order to eventually create a one-way slab roof and pass that design over to an NGO that can successfully implement it