Challenges and possible mitigation of Ethiopia fishery: A review

Abstract

This paper reviews the major existing and potential threats of Ethiopian fishery and there possible mitigation. Ethiopia has a rich diversity of Ichthyo-fauna in its lakes, rivers and reservoirs, although they are poorly known. Seven major threats to lakes of the world include: accelerated Eutrophication, invasive species, toxic contamination, overfishing, water diversion, acidification, and climate change. However in Ethiopia there are a number of challenges which affect fishery such as overfishing, wetland degradation, Dam construction for the purpose of hydropower and irrigation, deforestation and Urbanization and industrialization. The possible mitigation of the above problems has management strategies should comprise both biophysical and socioeconomic aspects with emphasis on issues like adoption of watershed/ecosystem approach at policy level, integration of income generation in conservation activities, sharing of responsibility/benefits among local stakeholders, institutional strengthening for environmentally and socioeconomically sustainable development of lakes. To protect the major challenges of fresh water are watershed protection include: reducing pollution by silt load, preventing negative water level fluctuation, eliminating overexploitation of resources, mitigation of conflict of interest in the use of water and land resources (deforestation, water logging, flooding, overgrazing, population pressure, and degradation).