AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT AT KAFR EL SHEIKH CASE STUDY  

Kafr El sheikh is located in the middle east of the Nile Delta, where it overlooks the Mediterranean Sea Shore in the north and the River Nile (Rashid Branch) in the west. It is mainly agricultural governorate and the agricultural cultivated area forms about 62% of its total area. Moreover, Kafr El Sheikh is leading in regard to fish activities.

The governorate has a share of Mediterranean Sea, Lake Burullus, and aquaculture establishments represented in fish hatcheries, fish nursery station, three governmental fish farms and very many private fish farms.

Thus, fishery activities whether in capture fishery or in aquaculture called for various levels and types of work opportunities including fishermen, fish traders, boat builders, fish farmers, fish feed producers and others.

Lake Burullus is characterized by its high productivity as its production amounted 63,980 tons in 2014 of the main species are (tilapia, shrimp, crap, mullet and catfish).In addition to fishery, Lake Burullus enjoys an international importance for birds under Ramsar convention.

The remaining sources of capture fishery include Mediterranean Sea fishery as well as River Nile fishery.

In regard to aquaculture, Kafr El Sheikh is by far the leading aquaculture governorate with its private fish farms, governmental farms, cages and integrated rice-fish culture. In fact, the first all-male tilapia hatchery was established in Kafr El Sheikh back during 1990s. Equally important, the first long-term 6-month training program took place in 1980 with the support of FAO.

There are several feed mills producing fish feed as required by the growing aquaculture operations in the governorate and beyond. Also, there is a wholesale fish market that serves fish producers as well as retailers in Kafr El Sheikh as well as the delta region. About 41.9% of total fish in Egypt is produced in Kakr El Sheikh; out of which 539,564 tons from aquaculture which represents 47.5% of total Egyptian aquaculture in 2014.

In regard to academic and aquaculture research, there is an aquaculture college that belongs to kafr El Sheikh University.