By Bisola Adeyemo
The chairman of the General Authority for Fish Resources and Development (GAFRD), Salah Al-Mislhy, In Egypt, on Monday, has predicted that the development of some lakes would be completed by the end of 2022, while Maryut would be finished by the end of 2023.
Al-Mislhy made the prediction while discussing a plan to improve Egyptian lakes to increase fish output and exports.
“The development and protection of lakes in Egypt has become a top priority concern, and the GAFRD, the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, the Suez Canal Authority, and some private companies have collaborated on doing this,” Al-Mislhy said.
He noted that Egypt has several freshwaters, brackish, and salt lakes, including Maryut, Edko, Manzala, Borolus, Bardawil in north Cairo, Al-Timsah, and Great Bitter Lake in Ismailia Governorate and Qaroun, Wadi El-Rayan, and Lake Nasser in southern Egypt.
“Egypt’s lakes contribute about 12 percent of Egypt’s fish resources,” said Salah Al-Mislhy.
The cost of developing lakes varies depending on the conditions of each lake, he said, adding that only expanding and renovating 250,000 feddans (105,000 hectares) of Lake Manzala cost 2 billion U.S. dollars.
Al-Mislhy emphasised that the effects of developing lakes were monitored even before all of the work was finalized.
“Lake Manzala produced 82,500 tonnes of fish in 2020, compared to 60,000 tonnes in 2017,” he said, adding that more fishing boats would be able to operate if further efforts are made in developing the lake.
According to Al-Mislhy, Egypt’s water resources supply 20 percent of the country’s fish: 12 percent from lakes, four percent from the Nile River, two percent from the Red Sea, and two percent from the Mediterranean Sea.