Current status, challenges and strategies for

sustainable fishery of Lake Hawassa

Improving Smallholders Livelihood and Resilience Through Climate
Smart Agricultural Economic Development Project

I
" jf S . v, '

* *
:

SOS SAHEL Ethiopia, in collaboration with EIAR° National Fishery and Aquatic
Life Research Center
 Current status, challenges and strategies for
sustainable fishery of Lake Hawassa

Study report

Submitted to: SOS-SAHEL ETHIOPIA

Dr. ZenebeTadesse (PhD), Fishery Biologist (Team leader)

Submitted by: Dr. Adamneh Dagne (PhD), Biologist

Research team (RT)

Dr. AschalewLakew (PhD), Aquatic ecologist

Dr. Fasil Degefu (PhD), Limnologist

Date: February, 2015

Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................7
General introduction...................................................................................................................................... 9
Chapter 1.....................................................................................................................................................11
1. Background........................................................................................................................................ 11
1.2. Major Challenges on Lake Hawassa Fishery........................................................................... 14
1.2.1. Overfishing........................................................................................................................14
1.2.2. Fishery being a common pool resources.......................................................................... 16
1.2.3. Breeding ground degradation............................................................................................17
1.2.4. Pollution.............................................................................................................................18
1.2.5. Land use change................................................................................................................ 18
Chapter II....................................................................................................................................................23
2. Current status of Lake Hawassa Fishery.......................................................................................... 23
2.1. History of fishery in Lake Hawassa......................................................................................... 23
2.2. Fish production potential........................................................................................................... 24
2.3. Fish diversity of Lake Hawassa......................................................................................... 25
2.4. Reproductive biology and maturity size of commercial fish.................................................... 26
2.4.1. Breeding season of commercial fish................................................................................. 26
2.4.2. Fish length at first maturity (L50).......................................... ..........................................28
2.5. Fish handling and processing...................................................................................................32
2.6. Fish marketing and livelihood....................................................................................................33
2.7. Other Uses of the lake............................................................................................................... 34
Chapter III.................................................................................................................................................... 35
3. Legal issues and institutional arrangement..........................................................................................35
3.1. Policies and legislations issued at Federal level....................................................................... 35
1.1.1 Agricultural and Rural Development Policy and Strategy Document (December, 2001)
35
3.2. Policies and legislations issued by the Regional Government..................................................40
3.3. Institutional Arrangements.......................................................................................................... 41
3.3.1. Intuitions responsible at federal level..................................................................................41
3.3.2. Institutions responsible at the Regional level.....................................................................42
3.4. Challenges in the implementation of legislations.......................................................................43
3.5. Institutional synergy required for Lake Hawassa fishery.......................................................... 44

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Chapter IV ...................................................................................................................................................45
4. Possible mitigation measures for sustainable fishery of Lake Hawassa.......................................... 45
4.1. Possible mitigation measures to minimize overfishing............................................................46
4.1.1. Limit growth and recruitment overfishing......................................................................... 47
4.2. Protect catchment and lakeshore degradation........................................................................... 49
4.2.1. Prevent fishing activity along the fish breeding ground....................................................50
4.2.2. Prevent wetlands and lakeshore modification and degradation........................................ 51
4.2.3. Rcducc pollutants................................................................................................................51
4.3. Establish alternative fish production systems........................................................................... 52
4.3.1. Use other fish species in Lake Hawassa........................................................................... 53
4.3.2. Develop small scale aquaculture to tap the capture fishery.............................................. 54
4.4. Develop proper fish handling, processing and storage of fish and fish products.................. 55
4.5. Implement sustainable fishery monitoring and controlling system.........................................56
4.5. 1. Conduct exploratory fishery survey...................................................................................56
4.5.2. Update existing fishery management tools.........................................................................57
4.5.3. Allocate adequate budget to the fishery sector.................................................................. 57
Chapter V .................................................................................................................................................... 59
5. Project implementation strategies........................................................................................................59
5.1. Implementation strategies to reducc over-fishing and protect fish breeding habitat
degradation..............................................................................................................................................60
5.2. Implementation strategy to reduce aquatic pollution in Lake Hawassa................................. 62
5.3. Implementation strategy for improved fish handling and processing.................................... 65
5.4. Implementation strategy to enhance the fish recruitment in Lake Hawassa............................67
5.5. Legal frameworks........................................................................................................................70
5.6. Intervention Areas for SOS-Sahel (other NGOs) in Lake Hawassa......................................... 73
6. References............................................................................................................................................76

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List of figures

Figure 1 Map of Ethiopia (inset) and the Rift Valley Lakes with iheir drainage basin pattern. The grey
box indicates Lake Hawassa (Modified after Kebedeel al,. 1994)............................................... 11
Figure 2 Rainfall and air temperature data around Lake Hawassa between 1996 and 2006. Data
provided from the Ethiopian National Meteorological Service Agency...................................... 11
Figure 3 Causal chain analysis diagram for overfishing in Lake Hawassa...T..............................................16
Figure 4 The present fish handling and processing methods at "Amora-Gedcr landing sites, Hawassa
(Photo by Research Team).............................................................................................................. 21
Figure 5 Graphic diagram showing fish spoilage along the value-chain: Good quality fish (a); Spoiled
fish (b); Spoilage factors (c). (Source: http: //www. fao.org)...... .1............................................... 22
Figure 6 Fish production record in Lake Hawassa over the past three decades (LFDP, 1996; SNNPR
BoA)................................................................................................................................................. 23
Figure 7 Number of fishermen engaged on full time fishing in Lake Hawassa...........................................24
Figure 8 Mean Percentage contributions of the three commercial fish species in Lake Hawassa
between 2001 and 2006 E.C. Source: SNNPR BoA......................................................................26
Figure 9 Breeding season of C. gariepinusas indicated by the percentages offish with ripe gonads
from Lake Hawassa(Source: Samuel, 2013).................................................................................. 28
Figure 10 Size at first maturity of the Nile tilapia O. niloticus from Lake Hawassa (o- females, ■-
males).................................................................... .......................................................................... 30
Figure 11 The relationship between proportion of mature fish in each length class and total length of
fish for male (triangles) and for female (squares) ( ganepinus sampled from Lake Hawassa ...32
Figure 12 Fishermenfilleting fish under poor sanitary condition at AmoraGedel market. Lake Hawassa .33
Figure 13 Fish marketing channels in the Ethiopian Rift Valley (Modified fromSolomon, 2009).............34
Figure 14 Percent contribution of three fish species in Lake Awassa to the totalcatch...............................53
Figure 15 Conceptual frameworks for sustainable fishery resources utilization in Lake Hawassa........... 60
Figure 16 A diagram showing a pathway to effective and hygienic fish processing and handling in
Lake Hawassa...................................................................................>............................................... 66
Figure 17 Proposed institutional linkage and major acti\ itics towards enhanced tilapia fish recruit in
Lake Hawassa....................... ..........................................................*............................................... 69

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List of Tables

Tabic 1 Morphometry of Lake Hawassa (from Welcome, 1972; Makin et al., 1975).................................12
Table 2 The chemical characteristics of Lake Hawassa................................................................................ 13
Table 3 Forccastingthe changc in land use in Lake Hawassa catchment at 2017 (from Shewangizaw
and Michacl, 2007).............................................................................................................................. 19
Table 4 L50 of 0. niloticusin different water bodies of Ethiopia and some east African countries........... 29
Table 5 Mesh sizes of gill nets used for O. niloticus fishery in Lake Hawassa........................................... 3 1
Table 6 Suggested stockholders and their responsibilities to hall over-fishing and fish breeding sites
degradation in Lake Hawassa..............................................................................................................61
Table 7 Suggested stockholders and their responsibilities to reduce organic and inorganic pollution in
Lake Hawassa...................................................................................................................................... 63
Table 8 Suggested stockholders and their responsibilities to supply safe and hygienic fish for
consumers from Lake Hawassa.......................................................................................................... 66
Table 9 Suggested stockholders and their responsibilities to enhance tilapia fish recruitment in Lake
Hawassa............................................................................................................................................... 69
Table 10 Relevant proclamations and leading institutions required for integrated sustainable fishery
resource in Lake Hawassa...................................................................................................................72

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Acronyms
ACRD Animals and Crop Regulatory Directorate

AED Agricultural Extension Department

AGP Agricultural Growth Program

BPR Business Process Reengineering

EIAR Ethiopian Institute o f Agricultural Research

EPA Environmental Protection Authority

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization

FAO/SFE Food and Agriculture Organization/Sub regional office for Fisheries o f East
Africa

frnsy fishery maximum sustainable yield

GDP Growth Domestic product

GOs Government Organizations

GTP Growth and Transformation Plan

HU Hawassa University

ISD Investors Support Directorate

L50 Length at 50% o f the population maturity

LFDP Lake Fisheries Development Project

MoA M inistry o f Agriculture

MoARD Ministry o f Agriculture and Rural Development

MSY Maximum Sustainable Yield

NGOs None Governmental Organizations

PASDEP Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty

RAB Regional Agricultural Bureau

SARI Southern Agricultural Research Institute

SNNPRS Southern Nations Nationalities and People's Regional State

TL Total Length

6
 Executive Summary

Lake Hawassa provides scenic beauty and fresh breath for the city of Hawassa and its
surroundings. It is also ecologically and economically important to the local community in
generating income from tourism, hotel industry and the fishery. In particular fishery serves as
a means o f income and livelihood for large number o f legal and illegal fishermen and their
associates. Locally, it is one o f the main sources of animal protein for the low income
community.

However, with the rapid expansion of the city and population pressure the fishery o f Lake
Hawassa has been threatened mainly by human induced factors such as overfishing, use o f
destructive gears, fish breeding habitat degradation, pollution etc. Most o f these problems are
closely linked with mismanagement and inconsiderate exploitation o f the resource.

Considering the problem o f Lake Hawassa. SOS-Sahel initiated to undertake research on

sustainable use o f Lake Hawassa fishery as component o f a project “Improving smallholder
Livelihood and Resilience through CSA Economic Development (ISLR-CSAED) Project.
This assignment was given to research team consisting of senior and young researchers o f the
Ediiopian Institute of Agricultural Research. The research team consists of researchers
specializing in fishery biology, plankton limnology and aquatic ecology.

The RT employed different methods to collect primary and secondary data including literature
review, browsing the internet, on site field visit to the lake. The team also had long
discussions with experts and researchers of the bureau o f Agriculture, Southern Agricultural
Research Institute (SARI) and Hawassa University. Data gathered from various sources have
been analysed and compiled to produce this strategic document. This document is divided into
five chapters and the salient issues addressed include

Description o f Lake Hawassa and major challenges o f the fishery.

Historic and current analysis on the fishery and fishery biology o f commercial fish.
Review o f legal documents pertaining to fishery and institutional arrangements at
regional and national level.
Mitigation measures suggested for halting the lake fishery problems.
Suggested implementation strategies and role o f various institutions to address the
problem.

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We strongly believe that the report captured major challenges o f the lake fishery.
Implementation o f suggested strategies requires strong commitment and collaboration of
different governmental and nongovernmental organizations for the common goal o f protecting
the Lake Hawassa fishery and health o f the lake ecology. It is our strong hope that SOS-Sahel
and concerned stakeholders will take the lead to improve sustainable utilization o f the lake
fishery and livelihood o f the fishery community.

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 General introduction

Fish accounted for nearly 20 percent o f the world population intake o f animal protein. Fish
and fishery products are very valuable source o f protein and essential micronutrients for
balanced nutrition and good health for humans. In Ethiopia the per capita fish consumption is
(<300 grams per year) much lower than the average per capita consumption of Africans (9.1
k a year) and (18.4 kg/year) the wrorld at large (FAO. 2 0 10).

Ethiopia is endowed with huge water resources comprising of 6447 Km"" lakes, some 857 k irf
of reservoirs, 275km2of small water bodies and over 7000 km long o f rivers (FAO, 2003).
These water bodies harbor over 200 species o f fish of which some 40 species are reported to
be endemic to Ethiopia (Golubstov& Mina. 2003). Commercially the most important fish
species include the Nile tilapia Oreochromisniloticus, the African catfish Clariasgariepinus,
the Laheoharbusspp, Nile perch Latesniloticas, common carp, Cyprinuscarpioetc.

Based on empirical models, it is estimated that some 51,000 tons o f fish can be harvested
annually from the capture fishery nationwide. However, the current fish production from
these water bodies is still around 25000 tons per year, which is less than 50% of the potential.
This indicates that there is still a room to enhance fish production. On the other hand there are
already signs o f overfishing and depletion of the fishery resource in some lakes including
Lakes Ziway, Chamoand Hawassa.

Economically important lakes and reservoirs are found clustered in the Ethiopian Rift Valley
which extends north south across the country. In addition to Lake Tana. Rift Valley lakes such
as Ziway, Langano, Hawassa, Chamo and Abaya serve as important source o f fish for the
local and urban communities o f the major cities including the capital, Addis Ababa.

However, most Rift Valley lakes including Lake Hawassa are threatened by a number of
factors such as overfishing, use o f destructive fishing gears, introduction o f alien species,
catchment degradation, and pollution from point and non-point sources. Most o f the problems
are closely linked with mismanagement and inconsiderate use o f the fish resource. Although
most o f the challenges observed are similar in nature, the degree and level of destruction
hould be considered on a lake basis specific to each lake.

rherefore, SOS-Sahel has initiated this timely project aiming at developing strategies
ocusing on the problems o f Lake Hawassa fishery. It is envisaged that this document

9
identifies the major problems o f the lake fishery and suggest intervention measures for
sustainable management and use o f the fishery resources.

Hence, this document was developed based on literature review o f related studies, visit to
pertinent institutions, gathering o f secondary information and on- site visit to Lake Hawassa.
The research team also had some discussions with fishery experts o f bureau o f agriculture,
Hawassa as well as Hawassa city Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Officeon
the fishery o f Lake Hawassa.

This strategic document is divided in to five chapters. Chapter one provides descriptions on
Lake Hawassa and its catchment in brief. It also highlights major challenges o f the lake
fishery. Chapter two deals with the current situation o f the lake fishery focusing on the studies
conducted on maximum sustainable yield o f the lake; breeding season and maturity size o f
commercial fish o f economic importance. In chapter three, national and regional legal
documents which are pertinent to the management o f the fishery' resources are reviewed.
Various institutions and stakeholders which play important role for the fishery are listed.
Chapters four and five focus on the mitigation measures and implementation strategies
required to sustain Lake Hawassa fishery and improve the livelihood o f the local community.

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 Chapter I

1. Background

In this chapter of the report, the major challenges on Lake Awassafishery are presented to
illustrate on the past and present scenarios o f the lake fishery. Primary (field observation) and
secondary data from various sources were used to assess the major challenges on Lake
Hawassa fisheries. The chapter is structured in such a way that it can be used as an exordium
that will explain the analyses in the following chapters.

1.1. D escription o f Lake H awassa

Lake Hawassa (6 0 3 3 '- 7033'N latitude and 38022'-3 9 0 2 9 'E longitude, Fig.l) is among the
endorheic Ethiopian Rift Valley (ERV) lakes, which lies in the middle o f a series of the
Ethiopian Rift Valley at an altitude o f 1680 m a.s.l., some 275 km south o f the capital city
Addis Ababa. The lake has a surface area o f 90 km 2 and a maximum and average depth o f 22
and 11 m, respectively (Elizabeth Kebede and AmhaBelay, 1994). Its main inflow comes
from the swampy area, which was once part of Lake Shallo and drains through river
TikurWeha (Makin et al., 1975).The Hawassa area has a dry, sub-humid climate and receives
a mean annual rainfall o f 1154 mm between March and October (Fig.2). The annual potential
evapotranspiration for the area is between 1100 and 1250 mm (Elizabeth Kebede and
AmhaBelay, 1994).

25
140 -■
Tem perature
Rainfall
120 -

g 100
= 80 -
m
1 60 "
5
40 -

20
n
-

Figure 1 Rainfall and air tem perature

Figure 2 Map of Ethiopia (inset) and the Rift Valley data around Lake Hawassa between
Lakes with their drainage basin pattern. The grey box 1996 and 2006. Data provided by the
indicates Lake Hawassa (Modified after Elizabeth Ethiopian National Meteorological
Kebedeet al,. 1994) Service Agency

11
 Table 1Morphometry of Lake Hawassa (from Welcome, 1972; Makin et al., 1975)

(V ariab les Values

Catchment area 1250 km"

Maximum Length 17 km

Maximum Width 11 km

Shoreline length 52 km

Surface Area 90 km 2

Maximum Depth 22 m

Mean Depth 11 m

Volume 1.3* 10 9 m 3

Lake Hawassa is an endorheic lake entirely enfolded by faulting with no obvious surface
outflow. Despite being closed basin, it is striking that the lake water is relatively dilute with
conductivity value ranging between 780-965 fiS cm ' 1 (ZinabuGebremariamet al., 2003). Its
main inflow comes from the swampy area, which was once part o f Lake Shallo and drains
through the TikurWeha (Makin et al., 1975). The lake is classified as warm-polymathic under
the scheme proposed by Lewis (1983). A summary o f some physico-chemical characteristics
o f Lake Hawassa are presented in Table 2. Lake Hawassa is an oligosaline sodium
bicarbonate dominated lake (type II) under the classification system o f Tailing and Tailing
(1965). The salinity o f the lake increased between late 1930s and mid-1950s (Wood and
Tailing, 1988) but since 1960s it became more dilute (decreased in salinity)
(ZinabuGebremariamet al., 2002). This is probably dueto the very low concentration of
solutes in its inflows (Wood and Tailing, 1988) and/or seepage out through the bed of the lake
on the south-west and northern side as suggested by Makin et al. (1975). Recently Darling et
al. (1996) presented isotopic evidence o f ground water influx to the north, which is the most
plausible mechanism for maintaining low salinity in Lake Hawassa.
Table 2The chemical characteristics of Lake Hawassa

C haracteristics V alues R eference

Na (meq L '1) 7.1 ZinabuGebremariam et al., 2002
K '(m eq L '1) 0.7 »
Ca 2 (meq L '1) 0.5 »
Mg_+(meq L '1) 0.5 »
Alkalinity (meq L"1) 7.8 »
C l 'V e q L '1) 0.8 »
S 0 4 2’(meq L '1) 0.2 »
SiO: (mg L 'f) 42.6 Elizabeth Kebede et al., 1994
P 0 4-P(^g L '1) 12.4 »
Total P(ng L '1) 36.2 »
NO 3-N/NO 2-N (|ig L '1) 34.9 »
NH 4-N (|ig L '1) 5.7 »
S i0 2(mg L 1) 37.6 GirmaTilahun and Ahlgren,2010
P 0 4-P(|ig L_1) 15.4 »
Total P(|Lig L"1) 34.1 »
NO?/NO:-N(|ag L '1) 2.5 »
NH 4-N(|dg L '1) 1 18 »
Conductivity (|is cm '1) 846 DemekeKifie and AmhaBelay, 1990

Lake Hawassa provides a habitat to different fish species, water birds and aquatic organisms.
It also plays pivotal economical role via tourism and fishery, and most importantly it provides
water to the local communities The dominant phytoplankton species in Lake Hawassa
ar eLyngbva nyassae, Botry’ococcusbraunii and Microcystis(Kebede and Belay, 1994), whereas
the dominant zooplankton species are Mesocyclopsaequatorialis, Thermocyclopsconsimilis,
Diaphanosomaexciswn, Brachionus and Kevatelia spp. (SeyoumMengistou and Fernando,
1991). The littoral is covered by an extensive belt o f sub-mergent and emergent rooted
vegetation which extends about 150 m offshore (Tudoranceaet al., 1988) and up to 4 m depth.
The macrophytes vegetation includes :Cypentss p.,Nympheacaerulea. Potomogelonspecies,
Typhaangustifolia , Paspa/idiumgeminafiumand/'./afifoIia.Fishes that inhabit Lake Hawassa
areNile tilapia (Oreochromisniloticus), African catfish (Clariasgariepinus)
,Labeobarbusintermedius, Barbnspaludinosus, Ap loch e lie h fhys s p., and Garrasp.
(ZerihunDestaet al., 2006). Among these species OreochromisniloticusandCIanasgariepinns
are mainly the commercially important fish species and accounts for about 90 and 7% o f the
total landing, respectively (Elias Dadebo, 2000).

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 1.2. Major Challenges on Lake Hawassa Fishery

Contemporary ecosystem changes in most of the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes are not well
documented because basic data linking biological production to water quality and
hydrological variability had not been acquired or is not well documented
(ZinabuGebremariamet al., 2002). For the fisheries, it is uncertain during which periods year-
class strengths had translated into catch variability and what the root causes had been. In
addition, the transformation o f the fisheries through species introductions was partly affected
by fishing pressure and water quality deterioration. Degradation of fisheries and the lake
resources usually starts with over-population followed by over-exploitation o f the resources,
which leads to a decline in fish stocks. This can be followed by introduction o f new fish
species to improve catches. Increase in human and livestock population increases pressure on
land, which increases waste production, and contamination o f aquatic ecosystems, loss of the
fish habitat and fisheries. If these factors are not controlled, they can lead to total loss and
relinquishment o f the fishery. Many o f the freshwater fisheries resources and the fish habitats
o f Ethiopian freshwaters are at different levels o f resource and environmental degradation and
some could collapse if no interventions are made. The same problem is distressingLake
Hawassa. Problems o f Lake Hawassa are similar to the ones that affected lakes Ziway,
Chamoand Tana and there is a growing concern that a decline in fish stock of the lake is
already occurring.

The major challenges on the fisheries resources in Lake Awassa includes: urbanization and
the subsequent increase in ecological footprint in Lake basins; unsustainable fishing practices
and illegitimate fishermen cooperatives; shoreline modifications and the subsequent loss of
fish spawning habitat; pollution and eutrophication; inadequate policy enforcement and legal
regimes; poor institutions, institutional linkage and governance including stakeholder
commitment and participation; and inadequate and unsustainable funding mechanisms to
establish regular monitoring system.

1.2.1.O ver fishing

Overexploitation occurs when fish and other living aquatic resources are caught at a rate
which exceeds the maximum harvest that allows the population to be maintained by
reproduction. One o f the key challenges to the fisheries o f most freshwater fisheries in

14
Ethiopia has been how to sustainable management o f the fisheries resources. The fisheries
policy in the country is to ensure increased and sustainable fish production and utilization to
reduce poverty. Unfortunately, most fisheries in Ethiopia have declined and others completely
collapsed. Fishing effort on most o f the Ethiopian lakes was originally low due to low number
o f fishermen, poor fishing crafts, inefficient traditional fishing gear and limited markets.
Fishing effort on virtually all the lakes has increased with increase in human population,
improvement in fishing crafts to types that can move faster and venture further offshore,
introduction o f more efficient and in some cases destructive fishing gears and methods and
expansion o f markets with improvement in means o f communication.

The decline in the fish stocks on some of the lakes has been attributed to: excessive fishing
effort; use o f destructive fishing gears and methods; capture o f immature fish; weak
management and extension systems; inefficient packaging and dissemination of management
information; outdated fisheries laws and regulations; inadequate capacity to enforce laws and
regulations and limited commitment and involvement of stakeholders in management of
fisheries resources and the fish habitats. On Lake Hawassa, the fishing effort has increased
from 200 nets per day during early 1980s to about 400 to 700 nets per day in the 1990s
(LFDP, 1993). Currently, more than 1000 nets are set per day mainly to exploit the tilapia
stock (KassahunMereke, 2015).Destructive fishing gears including gillnets o f mesh sizes
which can catch immature fish were encountered during a field survey o f the lake recently
(January, 2015). Although there have been efforts to eliminate the destructive fishing gears
and methods, the number o f fishing canoes on the lake has continued to increase and policies
still emphasize increased fish production. Since the fisheries are still open access and
illegitimate fishermen cooperatives are also vastly engaged in fishing activity in Lake
Hawassa (which needs to be controlled through restrictive measuressuch as licensing to
sustain the fishery in the lake). The excessive fishing effort and fishing malpractices as a
result of unemployment and poverty has to be addressed not only from a population pressure
point of view but also based on alternative livelihood strategies away from fishing. Therefore,
all the situations should be considered as underlying intimidations to the fisheries o f Lake
Hawassa and hence call for prompt actions.

15
Figure 3 Causal chain analysis diagram for overfishing in Lake Hawassa

1.2.2.Fishery being a common pool resources

The fisheries are considered as common pool resources and are thus difficult to protect from
over-exploitation. As a result, fishing is frequently undertaken when alternative employment
opportunities are unavailable. Another common pool attributes is that fishing by one user
reduces the size o f fishing stocks available for others. Many fish stock are not “ow ned” by a
fishermen association but are instead fished by se\ eral fishermen cooperatives. The common
pool nature o f fisheries resources therefore results in overfishing and lack o f interest in
maintaining fish habitats.Therefore, different forms o f property rights enforcements by local
customs and bylaws have to be used to limit access to common pool resources and define
rights and responsibilities o f beneficiaries. However, inadequate enforcement, inappropriate
incentives and knowledge deficiencies regarding the fishery may result in overexploitation
despite a property rights framework. During our field observation (January, 2015) we noted
that overfishing in Lake Hawassa is caused by lack o f awareness amongst fishers o f the
impact o f destructive fishing and having the viewpoint that “if / d o n ’t exploit the fisheries,
someone else wilT. Therefore, in LakeHawassa, illegal fishing and illegitimate fishermen
cooperatives resulted in overfishing and use o f destructive fishing practices, which has
resulted in reduced catch per unit effort (personal observation o f the authors).

16
 1.2.3.Breeding g ro u n d degradation

Intensive agricultural activities and the subsequent deforestation leads to catchment area
degradation due to soil erosion which results into increased siltation in lakes. Such
anthropogenic impacts do not only affect the breeding ground o f aquatic organisms but cause
gill clogging of small fishes. Aquatic conservation strategies support sustainable development
by protecting biological resources in ways that will preserve habitats and ecosystems. In order
for biodiversity conservation to be effective, management measures must be broad based. The
socio-economic activities in the catchment area o f Lake Hawassa includes: agriculture (e.g.
crop, livestock etc.), urban development, utilization of wetland resources and water
abstraction, which significantly affect the fish resources and have to be considered in lake
management planning. Increasing human populations and the subsequent high demands for
food lead to intensive farming practices that require more water, use fertilizers and pesticides.
In addition, forested catchments and lakeshore wetlands are cleaned and drained to create
more farmland. Accordingly, the following are the main threats to fish breeding habitat in
Lake Hawassa:

o Deforestation o f the catchment and the subsequent soil erosion that results in increased
surface runoff and siltation, woody debris and sawdust into the shoreline, which is the
main spawning habitat for m any fish species,
o Residential and industrial development in the lake basin, such as improperly planned
recreation sites along the shoreline, which already exerted great pressure on fish
breeding habitat
o Inland navigation: construction of canals and unregulated dredging for effluent
discharge in the lake basins can change stream flows (inflows), which can either fill in
or remove important habitats,
o Mechanical macrophytes harvesting, which is the spawning site for many fish species
in Lake Hawassa
o Shoreline modification, fragmentation and destruction, which is the main breeding site
for fish due to the intense investment activities in the basin o f Lake Hawassa.
o Water abstraction (using water pumps) from the lake shore during breeding season,
which possibly remove the eggs o f the fish and/or fry arbitrarily.

17
 1.2.4. Pollution

Until recently, management o f the lake environment (both physical and chemical) was not
considered to be an important component o f fisheries management. Changes in physical,
chemical and biological processes in Lake Hawassa over the last two decades
(G ebrem ariam ^ al., 2002) show that physical, chemical and biological factors o f the lake has
huge potential to distress fisheries and the functioning o f the whole aquatic ecosystem.
Urbanization and the subsequent human settlement in the basin o f Lake Hawassa are amongst
the main sources o f pollution and changes in water quality (Gebremariam, 2002a, 2003a).
Although cultural eutrophication and acute pollution is not apparent in Lake Hawassa at the
moment, the potential problems deserve massive attention here (Gebremariam, 2002a). The
growing population and industrialization o f the city can have possibly serious consequences
on the lake limnology. Therefore, it is possible that Lake Hawassa receives wastewater
comprising multifaceted mixture o f noxious waste from domestic and industrial wastes. For
example, the effluents from the various sources (Point sources e.g.: Hawassa Textile
Factories, M ohaHawassa Soft Drink Factory, BGI Hawassa Brewery Factory, Tabor Ceramic
Factory, Etab Soap Factory, Hawassa University Referral Hospital; and non-point sources:
e.g. surface run-off from agricultural fields and urban settings) in Hawassa are likely to end
up in the lake and cause eutrophication. Since fish production and sustainability depend on
the health o f the fish habitat, there is a need to consider management of pollution and
eutrophication along fisheries management. Moreover, the presence and leaching o f heavy
metals from some o f the effluents into the lake systems and their bio- magnification renders
the fishery resources more vulnerable and may render the fish unsuitable for human
consumption in the future. A related pollution source is the growth o f urban centers and
industries around the lake. While this is inevitable, the discharge o f untreated or semi-treated
industrial and municipal wastes that may contain heavy metal residues is a threat to the lake.
The above conflicts in lake basin resource use require proper planning for the different users
of the lake basin.

1.2.5.Land use change

Land cover change is highly affected by human-induced activities rather than natural events.
Intensive agricultural expansion, urbanization and population growth in the lake basins,
deforestation activities, free animal grazing and other reductions in the vegetation o f the
catchment areas o f Lake Hawassa, which have expanded considerably during recent years,

18
has exerted great pressure on the management o f the fisheries resources o f Lake Hawassa
(Gebremariam, 2003a). Such changes have great impacts on the catchment by altering the
hydrological process such as infiltration, groundwater recharge, base flow and surface run-off,
which has increased sedimentation and nutrient load o f the water contributing to loss in fish
habitat, fisheries and biodiversity in Lake Hawassa. A study on the remote sensing assessment
on the land cover of the catchment of Lake Hawassa (Shewangizaw and Michael, 2007)
indicated that natural vegetation decreased by 1 1, 768 ha (which accounted for 9.1% of the
total natural vegetation) between years 1995-1998, which is mainly attributed to the
expansion of agricultural fields and urbanization in the drainage basin of lake Hawassa (Table
3) Therefore, all the possible causes that lead to land use change and catchment degradation
are happening in and around the lake— signifying that precautionary measures have to be
taken swiftly to protect the lake from siltation and the subsequent loss in fish habitat.

Table 3Forecastingthe change in land use in Lake Hawassa catchment at 2017 (from Shewangizaw and Michael, 2007)

Land use of Land use of Land use of

Land use type 1965 (ha) 1998 (ha) 2017 (ha)

Urban 490 1800 2554.242

Cultivated land 40586 61247 73142.73
Natural vegetation 67198 55430 48654.48

1.2.6. High dem and for food fish

Although per capita consumption o f fish is generally very low in Ethiopia, there is steady
growth in demand for food fish in some Rift Valley regions like Hawassa. The high demand
for food fish around Hawassa is attributed to growing human population, intensive economic
activities and rising incomes, a shift in preferences and tourism curios which has exerted the
greatest fishing pressure and resulted in overexploitation o f not only commercial fish species,
but key by-catch species as well. Price wise too, fish is relatively expensive compared with
the local price of vegetables and other cereal crops on a unit weight basis, though it is yet less
costly than other animal protein sources. Therefore, with increased marketing efforts, the
demand for food fish has increased enormously in Hawassa. If fishing efforts by commercial
and small-scale fishermen continue to experience unmonitored and unregulated growth in all
sectors, Lake Hawassa will experience rapid loss o f profitable fisheries, exacerbate
overfishing, and threaten the livelihood of thousand 's.

19
 1.2.7. Inadequate fishery resources m onitoring system

Lake Fishery monitoring is the continuous or periodic collection, organization and analyses o f
catch effort data and information for purposes o f effective management o f fisheries. Both
physical and socio-economic data are required for proper management and optimum use of
fishery resources. However, for Lake Hawassa, regular exploratory fishery monitoring is not
generally carried out, or if carried out, the data are not available to users o f such information.
The situation with socio-economic factors is even worse. Impacts of the lake on the
livelihoods o f intended beneficiaries, like farmers, fishermen and domestic water consumers
have not been evaluated at all for Lake Hawassa. Therefore, insufficient scientific knowledge
and lack o f awareness by fishers and consumers are major obstacles for improving policies
and management, and changing the behavior o f consumers and producers. Inadequate
statistics on catch effort data hamper fisheries activity and management, particularly in Lake
Hawassa. Fishery management models establish allowable catch quotas based on stock
biomass, size/age composition, mortalities caused by fishing and natural causes, and catch
data. The status o f a fishery is difficult to monitor and assess due to natural and fishing-
induced fluctuations in fish populations, and the influence o f pollution and climate change.
Lake Hawassa lacks updated and adequate exploitation models and information on stock
dynamics to make informed decisions. During our recent field observation, we recognized
that even when accurate data are available and analyzed, the information is often not
conveyed to key stakeholders, such as fishers. As a result, fishers lack awareness on the
impacts of their actions on fish stocks and their subsequent prosperity. This is a major
limitation to the adoption o f sustainable fishing practices in Lake Hawassa.

1.2.8. U nhygienic fish handling and processing at landing sites

Fish contamination, spoilage and the general unhygienic handling and processing at landing
sites were identified as major problems affecting fish trade in Lake Hawassa (personal
observation o f the authors; Fig. 3). Improving quality and sanitation issues during fish
handling and processing is critical for improving marketing opportunities across the country
as quality standards are becoming an important requirement for trading fish across borders.
Regionally harmonized quality standards should increase competitive access for traders and
help to ensure improved quality o f fish for consumers. Capacity building for all those
involved in the value-chain is an important prerequisite to consider. Fishermen, fish
processors and traders in the country often rely on simple low cost equipment and live and
work in remote areas where basic services and facilities are not available. They may also lack

20
knowledge, skills and the ability to invest in new equipment and ideas, and hence fish is often
handled and processed in unhygienic conditions causing spoilage, contamination and loss of
income as fish are sold for a low price. Fishermen, processors and traders may know what
they are doing is not the best, but find it difficult to change what they are doing. Especially
when faced with a lack o f potable water, electricity, good roads, equipment and landing site
facilities (which is the case in Lake Hawassa, personal observation of the authors). To solve
such problems the government should support in fulfilling those facilities and enforce the
implementation o f safety standards by fishers, processers and traders.

It is worth remembering that all stakeholders involved in fishery activities have a

responsibility to make sure that fish is handled in the best possible way and in the best
conditions possible, so that the consumer receives good quality and safe fish food.

Figure 4The present fish handling and processing methods at “Amora-Gedel” landing sites, Hawassa (Photo by
Research Team)

21
 TA S TY AND MAKES VOU HAPPY MAKE MODE MONEY

MAKES YOU STR0N6 AND HEALTHY SELL IN DIFFERENT MARKETS

PUTS CONSUMER O FF AND D 0 6 S N T SELL W H J_________ _

Figure 5 G raphic diagram showing fish spoilage along the value-chain: Good quality fish (a); Spoiled fish (b);
Spoilage factors (c). (Source: http: //www. fao.org)

22
 Chapter II

2. Current status of Lake Hawassa Fishery

In this chapter history and current status of Lake Hawassa fishery is reviewed beginning from
the 1950s which coincided with the establishment o f Hawassa city. Data from SNNPR
Agricultural Bureau, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Hawassa University and earlier
published papers on fish biology and yield are used in the subsequent sections.

2 .1. H is to r y o f fish e r y in L a k e H a w a ssa

Fishing in Lake Hawassa has been practiced since the 1950s (LFDP, 1996) and was
predominantly artisanal and subsistence type produced for family consumption and local
market. For decades the fishing has been practiced and still operational using traditional
wooden boats and gill nets of different mesh size. Currently, the fishing of Lake Hawassa is
based on commercial type using mainly wooden boats made locally.

Figure 6 Fish production record in Lake Hawassa over the past three decades (LFDP, 1996; SNNPR BoA)

The fishermen fish all year round with relatively high fishing activity during the Ethiopian
Coptic Orthodox followers fasting period where the fish demand increases drastically. Over
the past three decades, there has been a considerable fluctuation in fish production. However,
a sign o f overfishing exceeding over 900 tons per year has been recorded in the mid-1980s.
After 1986 E.C. the production declined by nearly half although the fishing effort remained
the same with the peak production year. This indicated that the lake has been overfished

23
beyond its potential yield. In the 1990s and 2000s the fish production fluctuated between 500
and 900 tons (Fig. 6 ).

Currently, there are 270 fishermen, organized under a legal cooperative who are actively
fishing on the lake. The fishing gears commonly used in the lake include surface gillnet, long
lines and hook and lines.Catch data recordsthrough the LFDP project showed that the number
of fishermen engaged in the lake fishery were 95 in 1984 E.C. and increased to 156 in 1986
E.C. As shown in Figure 7 the number o f fishermen in Lake Hawassa remained below 300
until 2004 E.C. and suddenly raised to over 800 in 2005 and 2006 E.C. as shown in Fig. 7.

Figure 7 Number of fishermen engaged on full time fishing in Lake Hawassa

2.2. F ish p r o d u c tio n p o te n tia l

There are different models that are used to estimate the production potential of fish from
natural water bodies. However, the level o f precision and data inputs required for these
models vary considerably. In this regard empirical models are the simplest to use and require
little inputs such as lake area; average lake depth, shoreline length primary production o f the
lake etc. However, the values calculated are crude and less dependable. For example, the total
fish production potential o f major water bodies including lakes, reservoirs and rivers varied
from 30,000-40000 tons per year (Mebrat Alem, 1993). Others reported for the same water
bodies a higher potential yield o f around 51500 tons per year (Breuil. 1995; FAO, 2003).

24
Based on empirical models, the potential fish production o f Lake Hawassa was reported to
vary from 484 -600 tons per year (GashawTesfaye& Wolff, 2014). These conservative
estimates considered some crude variables such as lake total area, shore line length which are
remotely related to the fish behavior and growth. However, there are models which are
apparently more accurate but require more data as inputs to obtain mare reasonable estimates.
Based on 9 years catch effort data (2005-2013), MSY and fmsy estimates of O. nilolicus using
Shafer & Fox models were estimated by Kassahun Mereke (2015). The result of this study
showed that the MSY o f tilapia which accounted for 85% o f the catch is around 500 tons per
year and the optimum level o f fishing effort should be below 1000 nets per day

(KassahunMereke, 2015). Very recently optimum yield o f tilapia stock o f Lake Hawassa was
estimated based on 514 days catch data collected daily from the landing sites. In this study
Alcmken (2014) used Jones length based cohort analysis model and length based Thompson and Bell
yield prediction model to estimate the maximum sustainable yield including the optimum level of
fishing effort. The estimated current annual yields before reduction and after reduction of fishing
efforts were 526.8 tons (1954 nets/day) and 442.1 tons/year respectively. Hence, the fishing effort
expanded before reduction of the fishing effort was very high and it should be rcduccd by a factor of at
least 0.5 fishing mortality. Accordingly the measures taken to reduce the fishing effort to below
80ncts/day were appropriate. Thus, the analysis on data collected after reduction of the fishing effort
indicated that the recommended safe level of exploitation is at fishing mortality factor of 1 and the
effort should be maintained at its currcnt level of 696 nets/day.

2.3. Fish diversity of I ke Hawassa

The northern and middle Rift Valley lakes of Ethiopia are characterized by harboring few
species of fish ranging between 5-6 fish species. As one of the Central Ethiopian Rift Valley
Lakes, there are only six species of fish in Lake Hawassa. Nearly all fish species are
indigenous fish to the lake. There are no reported fish species stocked into Lake Hawassa.
The fish species harboring Lake Hawassa include the Nile tilapia, Oreochromisniloticus, the
African catfish Clraiasgariepinus, Barbus intermedins, Barbuspaludinosnsand
Aplocheilichthysantinorii (Golubstov, Dgebuadze and Mina, 2002). Unlike the Central Rift
Valley lakes such as Lake Hawassa, the southern Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes like Lakes
Chamo and Abaya are known to harbor diversified fish fauna o f 18-20 different fish species.

25
 ■ Tilapia

■ Catfish

■ Barbus

Figure 8 Mean Percentage contributions of the three commercial fish species in Lake Hawassa between 2001 and 2006
E.C. Source: SNNPR BoA

Among the six fish species in the lake the commercially important fish contributing
predominantly to the lake fishery are the Nile tilapia, Orechromisniloticus , the catfish
Clariasgariepinus and to a less extent Barbusintermedius contributing 90%, 8 % and 2% of
the lake fish production, respectively (Fig. 8 ).

2.4. Reproductive biology and maturity size of commercial fish

Scientific information on the biology o f commercial fish species is vital for sustainable and
wise management o f the fishery resource o f major water bodies nationwide. Several
investigators have conducted and reported on some aspects o f the biology o f commercial fish
including feeding, reproductive biology, age and growth etc (Eg., DemekeAdmassu, 1990,
1994; ZenebeTadesse, 1997, 1999; Elias Dadebo, 2000; Y osef T/Georgis, 2000; YirgawTeferi
et al., 2001 ).

2.4.1. Breeding season of commercial fish

In this document we focused on earlier studies conducted on the reproductive biology of

commercial fish species in Lake Hawassa. The breeding season, fecundity rate, length at first
maturity (L 50) o f O. niloticus in Lake Hawassa was reported by DemekeAdmassu(1996).
These studies confirmed that O. niloticus shows bimodal peaks; the major spawning occurs
between February and May and the minor peak between July and August (DemekeAdmassu,
1994). The on set o f fish spawning has been triggered by environmental factors mainly rain

26
and the subsequent increase in primary productivity o f the lake. During spawning the
courtship o f fish and fertilization occurs in a nest built along the shallow littoral region o f the
lake. Moreover, after few weeks o f incubation o f the fertilized egg in the female fish mouth
the larvae are released into the lake. The larval fish and the spawning brood stock feed along
the littoral region. Therefore, the littoral macrophyte vegetation serves as refuge and shelter
for the newly hatched larvae against predators should be protected and conserved to protect
the newly hatched larvae and juvenile fish.

The second commercially important fish which accounts for about J0 % o f the lake fishery;
the catfish C. gariepinusdXso shows seasonal breeding behavior. Elias Dadebo (2000) studied
the spawning behaviour o f the fish and found that catfish in Lake Hawassa spawns all year
round but the peak breeding occurs between March and June. The peak breeding coincided
with the onset o f the early rain which triggered the spawning activity o f the fish. Catfish is
known to breed in flood plains and marshy area around the lake. In Lake Hawassa the vast
swampy area, Shallo (Cheleleka), is used as breeding ground for catfish. Catfish is a substrate
spawner, the fecundity rate varied from 8800 to 65000 eggs and the weight o f ripe ovaries
ranged from 11.2 to 962 grams per fish (Elias Dadebo, 2000). The smallest ripe female and
male were reported to be 34 and 33 cm total length. Fertilized eggs are simply left in the water
attached to vegetation or sand.

27
Figure 9 Breeding season of C. gariepinusas indicated by the percentages of fish with ripe gonads from Lake
Hawassa(Source: Samuel, 2013)

Therefore, wetlands (e.g. Shallo/Cheleleka) which serve as a breeding and nursery ground for
different fish species should be protected from ecological and habitat degradation. Wetlands
play significant ecological functions and serve as kidney in filtering pollutants entering the
lake. It also serves as home o f diversified flora and fauna. The only river entering the lake,
TikurWuha flows all year round and obtains its water from this wetland. Therefore, any
conservation measures that protect the Shallo (Cheleleka) swamp directly or indirectly will
guarantee the safety o f Lake Hawassa ecosystem and its surrounding areas.

2.4.2.Fish length at first maturity (L50)

Research focusing on the size o f fish attaining maturity has been conducted on commercial
fish species o f fish in Ethiopia. Such studies focused mainly on O. niloticus found in the
Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes such as Ziway, Koka, Langano, Hawassa, Chamo etc.(Zenebe
Tadesse, 1988; Demeke Admassu, 1996, Yirgaw Teferi et al., 2001;

28
GashawTesfaye&ZenebeTadesse,2008). L50 o f O. niloticus determined by different
investigators in Ethiopia and elsewhere in East Africa is summarized in table 2 below.

Table 4 L50 of O. niloticusm different water bodies of Ethiopia and some east African countries

Lake country Male Female (TL, References

(TL,cm) cm)
Hawassa Ethiopia 19.8 18.8 Demeke, 1994
Tana Ethiopia 20.7 18.1 Tesfaye, 1998
Chamo Ethiopia 42 42 Yirgaw et al., 2001
Turk ana Kenya - 29.6 Harbott&Ogari, 1982
Victoria Kenya 34.5 30.8 Njiru et al., 2006
Albert Uganda 14 12 Trewaves, 1983
Thema Rwanda 18 18.7 Leveque, 1997
Koka Ethiopia 23.1 23.9 Gashaw&Zenebe, 2008
Ziway Ethiopia 19.6 18.1 Gashaw&Zenebe, 2008
Langeno Ethiopia 19.4 19.7 Gashaw&Zeneb, 2008
Hawassa Ethiopia 20 16.8 Elias et al., 2013
(Source: Gashaw&Zenebe, 2008)

As shown in the table above average size of first maturity varied between lakes considerably.
In most lakes both sexes mature at about similar size but females mature earlier in most cases.
Except for Lake Chamo nearly 50 percent o f the (). niloticus population tends to mature
between 18 cm and 24 cm total length. Therefore, any gear in particular gill nets with
stretched mesh size less than 10 cm should not be allowed to catch fishes. This is because gill
net mainly less than 8 cm stretched mesh size will remove immature fish before they rich
maturity size and spawn. This could result in growth overfishing and decline in the stock in
short period. However, fishery experts and researchers in Hawassa told us that some illegal
fishermen use small mesh sized gill nets of less than 6 cm and this will remove immature fish
and resulted in overfishing o f the tilapia stock. The size at first maturity o f O. niloticus
determined very recently by Elias Dadebo et al. (2013) was found to be 20 cm for male and
16 8 cm TL for female fish in Lake Hawassa (Fig. 10). However, the smallest mature female
(13.9 cm) and male fish (17 cm TL) were even much smaller indicating the presence o f high
fishing pressure in the lake. On the other hand, the Lsoof the same stock in Lake Hawassa was
smaller than what was reported earlier again supporting the high fishing activity and
overfishing in the lake. When fishing activity is high, the size at first maturity of the fish

29
decreases, because the fish tends to breed earlier to compensate for the loss exerted by the
fishing pressure.

Figure 10 Size at first maturity of the Nile tilapia O. niloticus from Lake Hawassa ( - females, ■- males)

Gill nets are known to be highly selective gears. Thus to assess the impact o f gill nets used on
immature fish EliasDadebo et al. (2013) studied the selectivity o f gill nets used in Lake
Hawassa. The results o f their study showed that the minimum stretched mesh size o f the gill
nets to be used should not be less than 7.5 cm stretched mesh size. This mesh is slightly lower
than the mesh size used to capture the mean length o f 22.6 cm which is 8.4 cm stretched mesh
size.

The current mesh size used in the lake is slightly higher than the minimum mesh size used to
capture tilapia at its L 50 but care should be taken not to lower the mesh size any further which
will affect the immature fish. They also estimate the proportion o f catches and found that
about 20 % o f the fish cought is immature fish before they reach maturity. Hence, any
management practices that are recommended on Lake Hawassa fishery should minimize loss
o f immature fish. For proper management the length distribution o f the fish captured by the
capture fishery should be compared with length at first maturity not to catch the fish before
they reproduce.

30
Table 5 Mesh sizes of gill nets used for O. niloticus fishery in Lake Hawassa

Mesh size (cm) Number o f gill nets Percent (%)

7.1-8.0 10 5.2
06

ON
0

79 40.7
1

9.1 - 10 72 37.1
10.1 - 11 26 13.4
11.1 - 12 7 3.6
Total 194 100

(Source: Elias Dadeboet al., 2013)

According to Elias Dadebo et al. (2013) the mesh size of gillnets used by the fishermen varied
between 7 and 12cm with a mean o f 9.2 cm (Table 5). Only 5% o f gillnets used capture
immature fish less than the L50 determined for O. niloticus. However, if gillnets less than 8 cm
stretched mesh size are used especially in the littoral breeding and nursery ground during
breeding period, this could lead to growth overfishing. Therefore, the researchers
recommended banning o f O. niloticus fishing during their peak spawning period between
March and May (major peak) and September and October (minor peak) (Demeke Admassu,
1996) along the shallow macrophyte zone.

We also recommend restricted fishing along the lake littoral areas during spawning period.
However, there should be other activities to be promoted as means of livelihood for the
fishermen such as the tourism industry. It creates means of income for the fishers at the same
time reduce the fishing pressure and sustain the lake fishery.

The second commercially important fish, the African catfish C. gariepinusalso mature at a
particular size. For example the smallest mature catfish reported for male and female fish was
33 cm and 34 cm total length, respectively (EliasDadebo, 2000 ). Recent study showed that the
L5o o f C. gariepinus was 46 cm for female and 52 cm for male in Lake Hawassa (Samuel,
20 3; Fig. 1l).The smallest ripe catfish caught in other lakes e.g. Lake Babogaya was 31 cm
TL for male and 33 cm TL for female (Lemma Abera et al., 2014).

31
 Female PM = l/(l+exp(6 856 - 0 152 * TL))
Male PM = l/(l+exp(5 7 5 0 -0 .1 1 3 * TL))

N®

£
'u
a
03

0 20 80 100
Total length (cm )

Figure llT h e relationship between proportion of mature fish in each length class and total length of fish for male
(triangles) and for female (squares) C.gariepinus sampled from Lake Hawassa

2 .5. F ish h a n d lin g an d p r o c e ss in g

Fish are known to be highly perishable products and thus require proper handling and care
from harvest all the way until it reaches the consumer. Fish post-harvest loss has been
estimated to be around 30% o f the total catch (Averson et al., 1994). Post-harvest loss in
Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes such as Ziway, Koka and Hashengie varied from 27-30% (Yared
Tigabu, 2007, 2012). However, we have observed that in Lake Hawassa the filleted fish are
not thrown on the ground like what is commonly observed in most Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes
Ziway, Koka, Chamo etc. The filleted fish are sold to women who prepare soups which are
popularly consumed by fishermen and local residents at the lakeshore at Amora Gedel.
However, the fishermen fillet fish on the ground with poor sanitary conditions (Fig. 12). The
fillet are in most cases attract flies and this could cause health problems for the consumer.
Therefore, care should be taken while processing the fish all the way from harvest until it
reaches the consumer’s table. This problem was observed on the main landing sites at Amora
Gedel mainly by fishermen who are not members o f the cooperative. The cooperative has got
a shade which was built by the Lake Fisheries Development Project. Hence, both
governmental and nongovernmental offices and institutions should consider this serious
health problem and make the necessary intervention measures suggested in chapter V.

32
Figure 12 Fishermen filleting fish under poor sanitary condition at AmoraGedei market, Lake Hawassa

2.6 . Fish m a r k e tin g an d liv e lih o o d

The fishery sector in Ethiopia serves as a means o f income for over 15000 primary fishers, for
20000 people in ancillary activities and for 32000 subsistence fishers (Hussien Abegazeet al.
2011). Nationwide, there are about 67400 people directly engaged on the fishing while
additional 337000 people are also indirectly dependent on the fishery sector. Although, the
contribution of the fishery sector to the national GDP is around 0.1 percent its contribution is
comparatively high locally in the Rift Valley areas.

As one o f the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes, Lake Hawassa plays vital role in providing fish to
the local community and the city o f Hawassa. Fish harvested by fishermen are mainly sold
fresh at the landing sites. The survey result showed that there are two marketing channels in
Lake Hawassa (Fig. 13). In the first channel fishers sell their catch to the cooperative then the
cooperatives directly sell to the consumers. Similarly, the cooperatives sell the fish to the
hotels and the hotels sell to the consumers. In the second channel, fishers directly sell their
catch to the local consumers as well as to the hotels. The main actors in this market channels
are fishers, cooperatives, local consumers, hotels and consumers (mainly visitors and
passengers).

33
Figure 13 Fish marketing channels in the Ethiopian Rift Valley (Modified from Solomon, 2009)

2.7. Other uses e f the lake

In addition to fishery, Lake Hawassa is one the attraction sites for local and international
tourists. There are a number o f boats with outboard engines that are used by local and
expatriate visitors. Therefore boat owners and tourist guides base their means o f income and
livelihood on this tourism business.

Hotels and kiosks flourishing along the lakeshore generate their income directly or indirectly
from the lake resources. There are some traders who are harvesting and selling the
macrophyte to the local community. However, such activities should be considered not to
affect the breeding ground o f the broodstock and refuge o f the newly hatched larval fish of
tilapia and other commercial fishes in the lake.

34
 Chapter III

3. Legal issues and institutional arrangement

In this chapter legal documents which are directly or partly related with sustainable utilization
and management of the fishery resource in the country at large and in Lake Hawassa in
particular are reviewed in brief. It is tine that the actual implementation o f the fishery
resource requires effective and efficient integration of the various stakeholders in the sector.

In Ethiopia there are a number o f legislative documents which are issued by the Federal
government and Regional states o f the country. Below we reviewed legal documents issued
and examine their relevance and implementation for sustainable utilization of the fishery
resources o f Lake Hawassa in particular and the country at large.

3 .1 . P o lic ies an d le g isla tio n s issu e d at F ed era l lev el

A gricultural and Rural D evelopm ent Policy and Strategy Docum ent (D ecem ber, 2001)

This document was prepared by the Ministry of Information in December, 2001. It is

compiled in the form o f a book and contains a total o f 280 pages. It is written in Amharic so
that fanners and extension workers can get the information easily.

The document is divided into three chapters. Chapter one deals with an overview of the
economic policy of the country which is primarily based on agriculture. In this section it was
well defined why agriculture should be the only sector that brings quick development for
better the livelihood of over 80% o f the population.

Chapter two describes the main strategies to be followed to achieve the objectives of the
Agriculture Led Development policies. To achieve the intended goals about eight strategies
were considered to be important.

Chapter three briefly discusses the role of management at different levels in the rural
community. This section emphasizes on the contribution o f the pastoral community which
covers over 60% o f the country.

On this very broad document, water and land resources are declared to be owmed by the
people. However, land can be leased on contractual basis to the private sector. The paper

35
emphasizes on the economic and proper use o f the country's water bodies such as lakes and
river systems. Water harvest from rain using small and micro ponds have been stated as one
of the strategies for efficient use o f water for irrigation and other development activities. It
should be stressed that, there has been no specific terms mentioned on the country's fishery
resource and aquaculture in this strategy document.

Fisheries Development and Utilization Proclamation (Proclamation No. 315/2003)

The objectives o f this proclamation are to conserve fish biodiversity and its environment, to
avoid over-exploitation o f fish resources, to increase the supply o f fish o f good quality and to
expand the development o f aquaculture. There are 21 articles in total that are included under
four Parts: General (1); Fisheries Resource Utilization (2); Enforcement o f this Proclamation
(3); Miscellaneous provisions (4). Commercial fishing requires a legal fishing permit. Specific
permits are also required for fishing in national parks or reserved fishing areas, protected
fishing areas, and recreational fishing by non-nationals. The permits cannot be transferred.
Fishing in an area that is subject to a concession granted under article 7 shall require a permit
from the concession holder. Other provisions o f article 5 states about the need of permits for
the international trade in exotic fish, transfer o f live fish, prohibition o f illegal fishing
methods and permits requirement for fisheries research. Article 6 describes regulation o f
aquaculture and the prevention o f fish diseases. Article 8 concerns protection o f the
environment, whereas article 9 deals with trans-boundary and trans-regional fisheries
resources. Handling, processing storage, transportation and trade o f fish and fish product shall
meet fish quality and trade standards and be in conformity with regulations issued under this
proclamation (art. 10).

National Aquaculture Development Strategy of Ethiopia

Aquaculture particularly rural integrated fish farming has been considered as one o f the
strategic areas o f intervention to address the problem o f food insecurity and poverty in the
rural areas and improve the livelihoods o f the community in Ethiopia. The objective o f this
strategy is to integrate the sub-sector to others; to facilitate the development of viable and
sequential aquaculture plans; to develop and establish national and regional capabilities for
development planning, monitoring, surveillance and enforcement o f aquaculture.

The Ministry o f Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) in collaboration with Food
and Agricultural Organization sub Regional Office for East Africa (FAO/SFE) drafted the
National Aquaculture Development Strategy framework o f Ethiopia. This draft document
reviewed the current status o f aquaculture development; identified key constraints and

36
developed aquaculture strategies including the roles of government and private sector in
implementing the strategy.

Ethiopian W ater Resources Management Proclamation (Proclamation No. 197/2000)

This proclamation was issued aiming at ensuring sustainable water resources management,
protection and utilization; to put the water resources of Ethiopia to the highest social and
economic benefit for its people through appropriate protection and due management.

This proclamation is divided into nine parts, consisting of 33 articles in total. Part onegives
general provisions and consists of 8 articles in general. Itprovides short title,definition of
important terminologies, including purposes, scope of application and ownership o f water
resources.

Under article two, water resource is defined as surface or ground water which does not
include mineral and geothermal deposits as provided under proc. No. 52/1993.

Article 3 states that the major objectives o f this proclamation is to ensure that the water
resources o f the country are protected and utilized for the highest social and economic
benefits o f the people o f Ethiopia, to follow up and supervise that they are duly conserved,
ensure that harmful effects o f water are prevented and that the management o f water resources
is carried out properly.

Article 5 clearly indicated that all water resources o f the country are common property of the
Ethiopian people and the state.

The remaining eight parts of the proclamation are as follows:

Part Two deals with supervising body including duties and responsibilities.

Part three deals with inventory o f water resources and Registry o f actions.

Part four describes pennits and professional Licenses.

Part Five provides fees and water charges.

Part six deals with servitudes.

Part seven provides water banks and harmful effects o f water.

Part eight deals with association o f water users and finally part nine provides transitory
provisions.

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E nvironm ental Protection O rgan E stablishm ent (Proclam ation No. 295/2002)

This proclamation was issued for the purpose assigning responsibilities to separate
organizations for environmental development and management activities on the one hand, and
environmental protection regulations and monitoring on the other which is instrumental for
the sustainable use o f environmental resource, thereby avoiding possible conflicts o f interest
and duplication o f efforts.

The Environmental Protection Authority was established as an autonomous public institution

accountable to the Prime Minister. The authority is mandated to formulate policies, strategies,
laws and standards, which foster social and economic development in a manner that enhance
the welfare of humans and the safety o f the environment sustainable, and to spearhead in
insuring the effectiveness o f the process o f their implementation.

Article 15/2, states that each regional state shall establish independent regional environmental
agency responsible to implement the Ethiopian Environmental policy and strategy. This
proclamation is divided into four parts containing 17 articles in total.

Environm ental Im pact A ssessm ent (P roclam ation No. 299/2002)

This proclamation was issued to assess possible impacts o f proposed projects on the
environment prior to their approval and implementations. This instrument provides an
effective means o f harmonizing and integrating environmental, economic, cultural and social
considerations into a decision making process in a manner that promotes sustainable
development.

The proclamation article 2/3 defines environmental impact assessment the methodology of
identifying and evaluating in advance any effect, be it positive or negative, which results from
the implementation o f a proposed project or public instrument.

Project and article 2/8 defines as any new development activity under any category listed in
any directive issued pursuant to this proclamation, major expansion or alteration in any
existing undertakings or any resumption o f work that had been discontinued. Without
authorization from the authority or from the relevant regional environmental agency, no
person shall commence implementation o f any project that requires environmental impact
assessment. The impact o f a project shall be assessed on the basis o f the size, location, nature,

38
cumulative effects with other concurrent impacts or phenomena, trans-regional effect,
duration, reversibility or irreversibility or other related effects of the project.

Environm ental Pollution Control (Proclam ation \ o . 300/2002)

This proclamation was issued for the protection of the environment, in general and the
safeguarding o f human health and wellbeing as well as maintaining o f the biota and the
aesthetic value o f nature, in particular, are the duty and responsibility o f all.

The authority or the relevant regional environmental agency can take administrative or legal
measures against a person who violated the law and released pollutant to the environment. In
consultation with competent agencies, the authority can formulate practicable environmental
standards based on scientific and environmental principles.

This document is divided into six major parts including 22 articles that deal with control of
pollution, environmental standards, environmental inspectors etc.

Environm ental Policy o f Ethiopia

The major goal o f this policy document is to improve and enhance the health and quality of
life o f all Ethiopians and to promote sustainable social and economic development through
the social management and use of natural, human-made and cultural resources and the
environment as a whole so as to meet the needs o f the present generation without
compromising ability o f future generations to meet their own needs. Specific objectives that
are related to water resources include,

Ensuring that essential ecological processes and life support systems are sustained, biological
diversity is preserved and renewable natural resources are used in such a way that their
regeneration and productive capabilities are maintained.

Prevent the pollution o f land air and water in the most cost effective way so that the cost of
effective preventive intervention would not exceed the benefit.

The document describes the need to use water resources effectively in a sustainable manner
under section 3.4. However, no specific points on either aquaculture or cage culture was
mentioned in this policy document.

39
 3.2. Policies and legislations issued by the Regional Government

Southern N ation, N ationalities and People's Regional G overnm ent, Fish R esources

M anagem ent D evelopm ent and C ontrol Proclam ation (Proc. No.78/2004)

This proclamation was ratified and issued by the state council which contains 11 articles that
include five parts. Part one deals widi definition o f terms, short article, scope and its
applicability. This proclamation is applicable in all water bodies found in the region. The
Regional bureau o f agriculture and offices under its auspices are responsible to administer and
protect the fish resource; is in charge o f implementing the proclamation. Part two contains
two articles that focus on fish resource management and development system and fish control
system. Part three deals with the enforcement of the proclamation. The regional bureau of
agriculture shall appoint fish resource inspectors at different levels. Part four contains five
articles that deal with obligations to be executed and cooperate; penalty and other measure;
inapplicable laws; power of issuing rules and directives. Thus, the regional administrative
council is given mandate to issue regulations while the regional agriculture bureau issues
directives to execute the regulations.

Southern N ations, N ationalities and People’s R egional G overnm ent Fisheries

D evelopm ent, m anagem ent and control Regulation (Proclam ation No. 62/1999)

This regulation was issued by the Sothem Nation Nationalities and People’s Regional
Government aiming at utilizing the fishery resource o f the region and promote the supply of
quality fish and fisheries products and strengthen the region's source o f income. This
regulation is divided into six parts consisting o f 22 articles. Part 2 deals with the utilization of
the fishery resources o f the natural water bodies. It emphasizes on the need o f fishing licenses
to undertake commercial and sport fishing. Part three deals with aquaculture development.
The Regional Bureau o f Agriculture is given the mandate to enforce this regulation and issue
directives for the implementation o f this regulation.

Fisheries developm ent, m anagem ent and control directives

This directive was prepared by the Regional Bureau o f Agriculture based on the fishery
regulation No. 62/1999 which is issued by the council o f Southern Nation and Nationalities
and Regional State. This directive is divided into eight parts and was issued in October 2000
E.C. The directive provides detail articles on how to implement the fishery regulation. Part
four focuses on fish processing and handling system.

40
 3 .3 . In stitu tio n a l A r r a n g e m e n ts

There are number of governmental offices and institutes that have been given mandates at the
Federal Government and Regional States which are dealing with water bodies and its
resources and environment in general.

3.3.1.Institutions responsible at federal level

T h e M i n i s t r y o f A g r i c u l t u r e (M o A )

The Ministry of Agriculture has been restructured several times over the past four decades.
The most recent restructuring has been in effect in the past couple of years based on business
process reengineering (BPR) program. The BPR has been exercised in all government organs
including the various departments of the Ministry as well as autonomous institutions which
are directly accountable to the MoA. The BPR the restructuring has been based on functions
rather than commodity based like the former structures o f the Ministry. Hence, there cannot
be staictures or offices designated for particular commodities like fishery, poultry etc. The
commodities are believed to be accommodated in the various directorates.

E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n A u t h o r i t y E s t a b l i s h m e n t P r o c l a m a t i o n ( P r o c l a m a t i o n No.

9/1995)

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) was established as an autonomous public

institution of the Federal Government which shall be accountable to the Counsel o f Ministers.
The organization is led by EPA Council which consists o f 8 members representing various
Ministries including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry o f Trade and Industry, the
Ministry o f Health and the Ministry o f Mines and Energy. The organization is led by a
General Manager and Deputy General Manager appointed by the Government. The institute is
mandated to formulate policies, strategies, laws and standards, which foster social and
economic development in a manner that enhance the welfare o f humans and the safety o f the
environment sustainable, and to spearhead in insuring the effectiveness of the process o f their
implementation. At the Federal level the authority is directly accountable for the Prime
Minister. However, each regional state establish independent regional environmental agency
with autonomous mandates and responsibilities to implement the Ethiopian Environmental
policy and strategy.

41
Environm ental Protection O rgans Establishm ent Proclam ation (Proclam ation No.

295/2002)

In this proclamation, Environmental Protection Organs means the Authority, the Council, the
Sectoral and Regional environmental units defined. The Environmental Protection Authority
was re-established as an autonomous public institution accountable to the Prime Minister. The
objective o f the Authority is to formulate policies, strategies, laws and standards, which foster
social and economic development in a manner that enhance the welfare of humans and the safety of
the environment sustainable, and to spearhead in insuring the effectiveness of the process of their
implementation.

The head office of Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is in Addis Ababa and it has branch
offices in the regions. Each regional state shall establish independent regional environmental agency
responsible to implement the Ethiopian Environmental policy and strategy. This proclamation is
divided into four parts that constitute 17 articles. At the Federal level, the EPA office is divided into
eight departments of which five are technical departments whereas the remaining three are support
departments. There are also four services supporting the technical activities of the authority. The
Environmental impact assessment is one of the services given by the authority. The impact of any
project that may pose a threat to the water, air and biodiversity shall be scrutinized and get approved
through this office.

3.3.2.Institutions responsible at the Regional level

SN N PR S Bureau o f A griculture

The regional bureau o f Agriculture in particular whose office located in Hawassa is given the
mandate to implement the fishery proclamation, regulation and directives issued by the
regional council and bureau o f agriculture. Fishery officers who are in charge o f controlling
the fishery resources o f the region are assigned by the bureau and offices at zonal and woreda
level.

N atural resources & E nvironm ental Protection office

This is a newly established governmental office located at the regional state capital, Hawassa.
It is currently working actively on protecting the environment around Lake Hawassa. Very
recently, it has developed a proclamation which enables to establish buffer zone around Lake
Hawassa.

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Hawassa University

In addition to teaching, Hawassa University has been active in conducting research related to
aquatic ecosystems: fish biology, population dynamics, limnology and pollution. Teaching
staff o f the university has published a number of articles focusing on the lake fishery, biology,
plankton dynamics and physico-chemical features o f Lake Hawassa. Most o f these studies can
serve as base line information for the management o f the lake fishery and its biotic diversity.

H awassa M unicipality

The Hawassa municipality is one o f the offices responsible in administering the city of
Hawassa. It is in charge o f keeping the city clean and safe for the resident. Lake Hawassa is
one o f the scenic places of the city and the city municipality works hard to keep the city and
the lake clean.

S o u th e rn A g ric u ltu ra l R esearch In stitu te

SARI is regionally mandated to conduct research and disseminate research outputs to the end
users. Under the livestock research directorate fishery is one of the research commodities and
hence the directorate is mandated to conduct research on fishery resources of the region.

3.4. C h a lle n g e s in th e im p le m e n ta tio n o f le g islatio n s

In Ethiopia there are a number of proclamations, regulations and directives which guarantees
the sustainable use and conservation o f the fishery resource nationwide. Some o f the decrees
issued so far include the Federal proclamation No. 395/2003 and the regional proclamations
issued by the Amhara Regional State, Oromia Regional Government and southern Nation and
Nationalities Regional state are key legislation documents to mention.

However, from our experience and information from the fishery expens revealed that the
fishery proclamations are not implemented at fisher's level. The fishery resource is considered
b> the local people as free commodity for own consumption and commercial purpose. The
fish resource is not considered as commodity even by some government officials. Even in the
SNNPRS where the resource is huge, it has been given less attention or totally neglected. That
o
is why there are only few fishery experts assigned to monitor and control the resource.

This problem o f mismanagement and overexploitation of the fishery resource is evident in

Lake Hawassa too. As a result today there are large numbers of fishermen who are fishing

43
illegally without any restriction. These illegal fishers also use low mesh size gill nets o f 6 cm
mesh size and fish small sized and immature fish. Thus to tackle this problem, the
collaboration o f different stakeholders is urgently required.

3.5. Institutional synergy required for Lake Hawassa fishery

The problem o f fishery appears to be multifaceted and therefore requires the involvement of
various institutions both at Federal and Regional level. The Lake Hawassa fishery problem in
particular requires the collaboration o f the following institutions.

1. SNNPR Bureau o f Agriculture

2. The Bureau o f Environmental Protection
3. Fishery cooperative office
4. South Agricultural Research Institute
5. Ethiopian Institute o f Agricultural Research
6 . Hawassa University

7. Hawassa Municipality
8 . Non-Governmental Organization

Each institute listed above share their task and contributes for sustainable and wise use of
Lake Hawassa fishery. The role o f each stake holders will described in some detail in chapter
 Chapter IV

4. Possible mitigation measures for sustainable fishery of Lake Hawassa

Ever increasing fishing effort using inappropriate fishing gears, fish breeding ground
degradation and failure to control free access to the lake fishery are the major causes for
overfishing in any water body. An overall review o f marine fishery resources also confirmed
that there are increasing trend in the proportions of overexploited, depleted and recovering
fish stocks (FAO, 2008). According to FAO (1989) four main factors such as open and
generally free-access to fishing grounds (particularly in the lakeshore), increasing population
around the lakes (with few alternative source o f employment), profit maximizing behavior of
fishermen operating under market conditions and the renewable nature o f exploited resources
lead to overfishing in most African lakes which is also similar for the Ethiopian cases. In Lake
Hawassa a sign o f overfishing such as decrease in the size of fish caught, decline in the total
catch despite the effort and a decrease in the length at first maturity (particularly o f Nile
tilapia), is reported by various authors (LFDP, 1997; Elias Dadebo, 2000; Svein-Gunnar
Bjorkli, 2004; KassahunMereke, 2015). Unless appropriate mitigation measures are
implemented in such situation, the water bodies will ultimately end up in yielding less than
their maximum potential owing to excess fishing pressure. It is therefore highly mandatory to
devise and implement possible mitigation measures for sustainable fishery of Lake Hawassa.
In ine with this fact five possible mitigation measures are suggested in this chapter to halt
over fishing pressure in Lake Hawassa. These mitigation measures are:

• Minimize growth and recruitment overfishing through limiting and controlling of

fishing effort and open access;

• Protect lakeshore degradation in particular and catchment degradation in general to

protect fishes breeding ground loss and lake pollution

• Introduce alternative fish production methods to supply for the increasing fish demand
and to reduce fishing pressure on capture fishery
• Implement proper fish handling, preservation, processing and storage for fish and fish
products to improve hygiene and sanitation at the fish landing sites and processing
shades

• Implement sustainable fishery monitoring and controlling system for the effectiveness
o f the above mentioned mitigation measures

45
It would be the feasible option to implement those mitigation measures to achieve results
which maximize benefits from the fisheries. The actual implementation requires the
involvement o f different stakeholders and funding organizations.

4.1. Possible mitigation measures to minimize overfishing

Overfishing is a form o f overexploitation where fish stocks are reduced to below acceptable
levels which can result in reduced biological growth rates, low biomass levels and resource
depletion in general. Acceptable levels can be defined from biological and bio-economical
point o f view (Paul et al. 1989). Biological overfishing is when fishing mortality has reached
a level where the stock biomass has negative marginal growth rates o f biomass growth. Fish
are taken out o f the water so quickly that the replenishment o f stock by breeding slows down
and if it stays for long the population decreases. On the other hand bio-economic overfishing
is when cost o f fishing is considered additionally.

Different types o f overfishing may occur in a given water body through external pressure like
the human activities in the water body and/or through within a water body interactions among
organisms. Generally three types o f overfishing occur in water bodies where there is
established fish population. These are growth overfishing, recruitment overfishing and
ecosystem overfishing. Growth overfishing occurs when the young fish (the recruits) that
become available to the fishery are caught before they can grow to a reasonable size. The
second types o f overfishing, recruitment overfishing occurs when the parent stock is reduced
by fishing to the extent that not enough young fish are produced to ensure that the stock will
maintain itself. It is obvious that in any fish stock, there will be no young fish (no recruits) if
no parent fish are left by the fishery. These parents must mature, spawn and fertilize eggs
which hatch to larvae where only a very few small fraction o f which eventually survive and
become young fish (recruits). The third type o f overfishing, ecosystem overfishing, occurs if
there are competition and predation between species. Ecosystem overfishing would be the
transformation o f a relatively mature, efficient system into an immature or stressed inefficient
system.

Understanding the nature o f overfishing should considerably help to solve resource allocation
problems between artisanal and commercial fishermen \n the water body. For example, the
same catch data o f relatively young fish by the artisanal fishermen fishing close to inshore has
a radically different effect on a stock than the same catch o f older and larger fish by
commercial fishery operating further offshore. It is on the bases o f the identification o f such

46
conflicting optimum sustainable yield that fishery managers of the water body can make
sound decisions as to which segments of the fishing community should be encouraged or
discouraged from fishing.

When we consider the situation in Lake Hawassa, the signs of both growth and recruitment
overfishing have been reported by several authors (LFDP, 1997, Bjokli, 2004; Kassahun
Mereke, 2015). Fluctuation in the price o f the fish because of higher demand in some
occasions lead fishermen to increase their fishing effort which triggers overfishing. For
example during the fasting periods of the Orthodox Religion followers (March/April and early
half o f August) the price for fish will be more than double (Elias Dadebo, 2000).
Unfortunately the peak breeding seasons o f one of the major commercially important fish
species o f Lake Hawassa, Nile tilapia, coincides with those peak fish demand periods and
hence fishermen increase their fishing effort which resulted in depletion of the fish stock.

4.1.1.Limit grow th an d re cru itm en t overfishing

The problem to the fishery biologist is to estimate the most suitable age and/or size at first
capture and to suggest to the fishing community so that the smaller fish will no longer be the
target and hence optimizes the yield that can be obtained from a given number o f recruits. It is
not only the mesh size and type of fishing gears which should be limited to minimize
overfishing but also the number of boats, number o f fishing gears per boat and number of
fishermen operating in Lake Hawassa. A comprehensive study by Lake Fisheries
Development Project (LFDP) funded by the European Economic Commission revealed that
production peaked in the 1984 to 1986 E.C. at around 900 tons per year. It is currently only
just a bit over half that figure 500 metric tons per year (Yosef T/Georgis & Casselman, 1995;
Kassahun Mereke, 2015) while the fishing effort has not declined as much (LFDP 1997).
Currently the number o f boats, fishing gears and number o f fishermen operating in Lake
Hawassa is greater or close to the figures reported during the peak production times 20 years
ago. During our field survey to Lake Hawassa, we had a couple o f questionnaires and
interviewed the fishermen at the landing site (Amora Gedel) about the current fishing effort
and major problems of the lake fishery. Currently the number of boats deployed by the fishery
“cooperative” is from 50-60 where 1000-1200 fishing nets (mainly gillnets) are deployed
every day. These figures don’t include other fishing vessels and fishermen groups operating
from the other side o f the lake and a number o f individuals fishing along the lakeshore (which

47
is the breeding and nursery areas o f fish). The fishery cooperative seems inactive that a
number o f groups and individuals who are not members o f the cooperative are operating in
the lake (which means there is open access to the lake). While we were at the landing site, we
tried to check the minimum twine thickness and minimum stretched mesh size o f the gill nets
that the fishermen are using. The minimum stretched mesh size recommended by LFDP 80
mm is reduced down to 50 mm and they also use monofilaments.

It is the combination o f all problems mentioned above which lead to growth and recruitment
overfishing. Therefore high fishing efforts should be limited and fishing in the breeding and
nursery areas should be banned. Mitigation measures proposed by LFDP (1997) should be
implemented to sustain Lake Hawassa fishery. These are:
• Maximum number o f nets to be deployed is 750 with minimum stretched mesh size of
80 mm, minimum twine thickness o f 210/2, maximum length: o f 70 m and maximum
height o f 2.5 m and

• Fishing should not be allowed within the macrophytes (weed belts) along the
lakeshore which are a breeding and nursery area for fish in order to protect
recruitment which are also valid for the current situation o f Lake Hawassa. However
this can only be possible if and only if the fishermen cooperative (s) and/ or
responsible bodies has/have got control over the resource (lake) and when there is
effective control so that there will no more be open access.

4.1.2. M onitor and control o f illegal Ashing activity

Illegal fishing activity is one if not the major threatening factors that most lakes in African are
facing. The situation in Ethiopian water bodies including Lake Hawassa is even much worse
and complicated. Open and free access for fishing, use o f illegal fishing gears and loose
and/or absence o f effective monitoring and controlling systems are major causes for illegal
fishing activities in the country. To reverse the depletion o f fish stock in Lake Hawassa,
different management measures should be in place. Open and free fishing in the lake should
be banned using legal means. Fishery cooperatives should be empowered to control illegal
fishers operating on the lake. The situation in Lake Hawassa is also almost open access type.
Even if one fishermen cooperative with 270 members is recognized to operate in Lake
Hawassa, there are 3 to 4 more groups with unknown numbers o f members which makes
fishery management o f Lake Hawassa more complicated and difficult. Licensing should also

48
be practice along with taxing the user for the benefits they get from the aquatic resources. The
absence of private or government firm to supply fishing gears may lead to use any kind and
size of fishing made by the fishers themselves which again complicates the controlling
measures. Therefore licensing all the fishers, assisting individuals and/or groups to make and
supply fishing nets and monitoring and controlling them for the compliance could curb illegal
fishing activities in Lake Hawassa in particular and in other Ethiopian water bodies in general.

4.2. P ro te c t c a tc h m e n t a n d la k e s h o re d e g ra d a tio n

The massive macrophyte belt along the shore o f Lake Hawassa is the breeding and nursery
ground o f most fish species. One o f the major ecologically and economically important fish
species in Lake Hawassa is Nile tilapia (Demeke Admassu, 1996). Nile tilapia (Oreochromis
niloticus) contributed 85 to 90 % o f the total annual production of Lake Hawassa (Yosef
T/Georgis &Casselman, 1995; LFDP, 1997; Kassahun Mereke, 2015). Being a native species
to Africa, it is also one of the fish species o f great economic importance for most fishers
(Trewavas, 1983). Even though tilapia utilizes different parts o f the water body (littoral and
open water), young fishes of this species colonizes the littoral zone because of the specific
tolerance they have to the elevated water temperature (Welcomme, 1985). According to
Welcomme (1985) and Balongun (2005) the littoral zone offers high food supply & favorable
feeding, spawning ground and nursery against predatory fish. Tilapia makes its breeding nests
in the littoral and many other fish species use macrophytes as spawning habitat for the
attachment o f eggs. Since the littoral area is the inter phase between the terrestrial and the
open water, aquatic macrophytes in the littoral can serve as a sink for wastes (liquid and
solid). It regulates nutrient flow and recycling and serves as energy source to a very diverse
tropical fauna and flora which intern supports a profitable shallow water fish industry in many
parts o f Africa. The shallow littoral area with aquatic macrophytes contains a greater diversity
of aquatic animals than the offshore open areas. For example in Lake Gurge, Uganda Burgis
et al. (1973) found 19 fish species in the littoral but only 10 in the mid pan of the lake.

For sustainability of Lake Hawassa and its fishery resources, the management should focus
not only on the lake but also on its catchment (watershed). A comprehensive study by SOS-
Sahel Ethiopia in collaboration with Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural
Resources- Hawassa University, on Lake Hawassa watershed development plan for
sustainable natural resource management and rural livelihoods improvement, revealed that
there are land use and land cover changes on the Lake Hawassa watershed (SOS-Sahel, 2014).
Changes from 0.4 to 83% in the cultivated land, grass land, forest, agro-forestry, urban area
and water body are reported in the study. The other very important aspect is the change in the
size and even disappearance o f Lake Cheleleka, which was used to be a water body with vast
swamp area (for the details see the landsat image changes o f Lake Hawassa and its
surrounding, figure 13 in the report). Even though the erosion condition into Lake Hawassa is
reported to be on low condition (SOS-Sahel, 2014) disappearance o f the swamp is a major
concern since the swamp contributes as the only tributary to the lake. The expansion and
development o f Hawassa city by itself which is directly related to the increase in the day to
day city’s waste load which ultimately enter into the lake. The positive aspect o f the Hawassa
city development is that the region as well as the city administration realized the importance
of the lake for the city development (green economy, the tourism). When we were on the field
to compile this report one o f the office we had extensive discussion in Hawassa was with
Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Office. Despite its recent establishment as a
new office, it tried and is trying to address many issues related to the lake’s sustainability. O f
all the activities the office is delineating the Lake Hawassa buffer zone which is crucial to
protect the fish breeding ground.

Therefore implementing watershed management recommended by the study (SOS-Sahel,

2014), banning commercial fishing along the lakeshore area and protecting the macrophyte
along the lakeshore are the major measures to be taken to protect further catchment
degradation and fish breeding ground loss.

4.2.1.P revent fishing activity along the fish breeding grou nd

The fishery resources of a given water body can only be used as renewable resource if
properly managed. The spawning biomasses (matured adult fish) are the ones which maintain
the fish stock by producing recruits. Preconditions to maintain the sustainability o f releasing
recruits are therefore to protect the matured adults from being targeted by the fishers and
maintaining their breeding ground from fishing activity (especially during the peak breeding
season) and from degradation. To rescue the matured adult fishes from being fished during the
peak breeding season intervention measures such as whole area closure (ban fishing) during
those peak periods and/ or partial area closure and ban fishing in the littoral breeding habitats
can be applied. For example Nile tilapia in Lake Hawassa has two peak breeding seasons
from January-March and during July-September (Demeke Admassu, 1996). According to

50
Opuszynski and Shireman (1995) water bodies with some plants or combination of plants
(littoral macrophytes) are better fish habitats than others and hence minimizing degradation of
fish breeding grounds is crucial for the sustainability of the fish stock of a given water body.

4.2.2.Prevent wetlands an d lakeshore modification and degradation

In the previous sections we have seen how important the aquatic macrophytes in the littoral
are for the sustainability of the fishery activity and also to maintain a healthy lake ecosystem
in general. It is a well-known fact that wetlands have immense functions: flood control by
holding water much like a sponge, erosion control, and purifying water by filtering out
sedimentation, decomposing vegetative matter and waste treatment (converting chemicals into
usable form). Looking into the functions and efficiency o f wetlands in recycling nutrients,
Authors even consider those wetlands as kidney, the analogy of which is that wetlands and
kidneys both help control water flow and clean the system (Denny, 1996). Despite all the
functions and services o f wetlands, modification and degradation of several water bodies and
wetlands are routine activities one can experience in Ethiopia. Several development activities
like water abstraction from lakes and rivers, river diversion for irrigation and other uses,
framing within the lakeshores and wetlands and infrastructure development (urban expansion
to and within the water bodies) are widely occurring in different corner o f the country. It is
possible to mention a number of water bodies with such problems, but a very good example
here is the continuous decline and disappearance o f Cheleleka wetland which is main water
supply to Lake Hawassa (for the details see SOS-Sahel, 2014). Therefore, water bodies and
wetlands should be protected by establishing buffer zone along the lake side.

4.2.3.Reduce pollutants

Hawassa city, located on the shores o f Lake Hawassa, is showing radical growth and
expansion as compared to other towns in the country. The growth in infrastructure
accompanied with rapid population growth is a growing concern o f point and non-point
source pollutants to the lake. The disappearance of Lake Chleleka. located in the eastern part
of the lake, due to land use change (for the details see SOS-Sahel, 2004 report) and the
watershed in the western part of the lake which is severely affected in terms o f soil erosion
and degradation are major threats for the lake's physical and chemical alteration. During the
field survey, the team visited the activities the city administration is undertaking to tackle
point and nonpoint source pollutants. The team appreciated the city adm inistration’s attempt
to use constructed wetlands, at Amora Gedel and near the Hospital, as waste treatment plants.
However, the size and type o f plants used to treat the waste from the city need to be
reconsidered to increase the efficiency o f wetlands to treat organic wastes. Different
mitigation measures to reduce both point and nonpoint source pollutants are well addressed in
the report by SOS-Sahel (2004) and hence not treated in this section.

4.3. Establish alternative fish production systems

Studies indicated that aquaculture is one o f the fastest growing food producing sectors in the
world today (Aguilar-M anjarrez & Nath, 1998; FAO, 2011). Global aquaculture production
grew 10 to 11 percent per annum over the past decade and is projected to continue growing in
the coming years (FAO, 2010). According to FAO (2008) aquaculture contributes half o f the
fish consumed by the human population worldwide. Small-scale fisheries contribute a high
percentage to the global fisheries and are means o f livelihoods for several million people
particularly in developing countries where other livelihood options are often very limited. In
spite o f the fact that fish are an important source o f food for many African countries to
provide their animal protein, fish production is mainly from capture fishery where the global
contribution o f aquaculture from Africa remains < 2% (FAO, 2008). Despite the country’s
potential (suitable agro-ecological conditions, water resources, land and labor) aquaculture
development in Ethiopia still remains quite low. Over the past decades, several fish stocks
have been showing a declining trend worldwide including Ethiopia due to overfishing
(Reyntjens and Tesfaye Wudneh, 1998; Froese, 2004; Winker et al., 2011; Hicks and
McClanahan, 2012). Declining capture fishery coupled with growing population and
increasing demand for fish, many African countries are now looking towards aquaculture to
supply an increasing demand for fish. A report by FAO (2012) also revealed that aquaculture
is the most feasible option that can sustain adequate fish supply in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Efficient utilization of the fishery resources like utilizing non-commercial fish species,
particularly in Ethiopia where there are only 5% o f the fish species which are commercially
available in the market, and reducing fish-post harvest losses will be a viable intervention
measures to ease fishing pressures on major lakes thereby to narrow the gap between supply
and demand of fish in the country.

52
 4.3.1.Use o ther fish species in Lake Hawassa

According to the current JERBE estimate about 200 fish species representing 29 families and
70 genera inhabit the Ethiopian waters (Golubstov et al., 2003; Golubstov et al., 2008; Redeat
H/Selassie, 2012). However the most commercially important fish species usually targeted by
the fishermen are not more than ten species. 6 to 7 fish species are reported from Lake
Hawassa (Golubtsov et al., 2002; Vijverberg et al., 2012) such as Oreochromisniloticus ,
Clariasgariepinus, Barbusn termed ins , Barbusamphigramma , Barbuspaludinosus,
Garradembecha and Aplocheilichthysantinorii.However, only three of the fish species
Oreochromisniloticus, Clariasgariepinus and Barbus spp. are targeted by the
fishermen.Recent data (Bimerew from Southern Nations and Nationalities Region
Agricultural Bureau) also revealed that Oreochromisniloticus accounted for about 90% o f the
total catch (Fig. 14). Since 2001 E.C. the percent contribution o f the two species,
Clariasgariepinus and Barbus spp., reached only 15% which indicated that the fishery of
Lake Hawassa depends mostly on one species ( Oreochromisniloticus ). Therefore the fishery
activity in Lake Hawassa should target at increasing the underutilized fish species in their
catches to sustain their income and reduce fishing pressure on selected fish species.

105.0

100.0

95.0

90.0
I III ■ Barbuss p p .

African catfish
85.0
■ N ile tilapia
80.0

75.0
2001 2003 2004 2005 2006

Years (E.C.)

Figure 14 Percent contribution of three fish species in Luke Hawassa to the total catch

53
 4.3.2.Develop small scale aquaculture to tap the capture fishery

Fish production in Ethiopia has so far been based on the capture fishery harvested from
natural water bodies (lakes, reservoirs and rivers). It is known that Ethiopia has designed
various development policies, which are at different implementation phases such as
Agriculture Development Lead Industrialization, Program for Accelerated & Sustained
Development to End Poverty (PASDEP) and Growth and Transformation Plan, to transform
the country’s economy to benefit its people. With the increasing human population and
increasing individual’s economy, the demand for fish is also increasing. The increase in the
price o f fish e.g. whole fish at the landing site or price o f a filleted fish per kilo since recent
years contributes to the over exploitation o f most lakes in Ethiopian. Earlier reports also
support this argument where fisheries production o f the major lakes o f Ethiopia is declining
(Reyntjens and Tesfaye Wudneh, 1998). Aquaculture is recognized as an alternative means of
achieving food and nutrition security and poverty reduction in the rural area, and is now
considered as an integral part o f rural and agricultural development polices. The development
o f National Aquaculture Development Strategy, allocating project funds to establish hatchery
units in the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS) and a plan
to establish a hatchery in the Amhara and Oromia Regional States are some o f the green lights
to develop the aquaculture business which will minimize the pressure on capture fishery and
also increase fish production in the country.

To use aquaculture as an alternative means o f reducing fishing pressure on Lake Hawassa, we

have to consider major inputs required to develop aquaculture where land, water, feed and
seed are the major ones. As a matter o f chance one o f the hatchery units, which serve as a fish
seed source, that SNNPRS is establishing is located close to the lakeshore o f Hawassa. The
presence o f different agro-industrial processing units in Hawassa city, land availability around
the city and also different rivers from the eastern catchment will make small-scale aquaculture
development in the surrounding o f Lake Hawassa feasible. The presence o f the hatchery unit
at the lakeshore will also have a significant role to launch successive restocking o f depleted
fish stocks in Lake Hawassa so that sustainable fish catch from the lake will be possible as far
as the recommended fishing efforts are implemented.

54
 4.4. D e v e lo p p r o p e r fish h a n d lin g , p r o c e ss in g a n d s to r a g e o f fish and fish

p r o d u c ts

Fish is highly perishable commodity and hence susceptible to high post-harvest loses. Both
physical (material like discarded by-catches) and quality (spoilage) losses are high in the
fishery sector (FAO, 2008). Since fish are composed of perishable nutrients, fish handling,
processing and storage should be done carefully so as to prevent deteriorative changes
occurring through oxidative damage and/or microbial infestation which otherwise will be
translated into losses in nutritional conditions o f fish to the total diet and health of
populations. The most important environmental factors governing the storage or shelf life of
fish are ambient temperature and humidity. These factors dictate the rate at which chemical
changes take place. Because of such facts and failure to maintain appropriate fish handling,
transport and storage conditions, significant proportion o f the total fish catches in Africa are
wasted as fish post-harv est losses. For Example 40% o f the total fish catch in Nigeria are lost
annually due to inadequate or poor preservation, processing and handling (Oladosun et al.,
1996). A number o f standard and traditional techniques are practiced to reduce fish post­
harvest losses in the tropics: salting, chilling, freezing, drying and smoking.

Fish handling, preservation, transportation, processing and storage conditions practiced by

most fishermen in Ethiopia, is below the minimum standard required for each steps and
process. Fishermen set their fishing nets overnight in the water and usually collect their
harvest in the early morning. The catch will be transported to the landing sites without cold
storage and processed at the landing sites mostly on the ground. This is a common practice in
most lakes in Ethiopia. Because of such practices a net fish post-harvest losses of 27-30% for
lakes Ziway and Koka (Yared Tigabu, 2007) and 23.7 % for Lake Hashengie (Yared Tigabu,
2012) are reported. In most lakes besides the low sanitation and low hygienic condition of
fish handling, processing and storage, spoilage and by-catch losses are the major fish post­
harvest loses which together will account not less than 50 % o f the total catches. However, the
fish post-harvest losses from Lake Hawassa is barely minimal and/ or none. The worst
scenario for Lake Hawassa is handling and fish processing at the landing site which need to
be improved. Fishermen process their catch at the landing sites just on the bare ground (Fig.
15) and also use the dirty water from the shore w'here lots of solid and sometimes liquid
wastes are entering into the lake. Transportation of the catch into the landing site is also a
poor system where the fish caught is simply pulled out from the water together with the

55
fishing nets, loaded in their cannon and transport to the landing sites. No ice is used for
transportation and/or storage.

4.5. Implement sustainable fishery monitoring and controlling system

Sustainable fishery is that when the fish is harvested at a sustainable rate so that the fish
population does not decline over time because o f destructive fishing practices. However this
theoretical idea usually faces many challenges during the implementation phase. It needs
practical strategies such as avoiding overfishing through techniques like organizing and
licensing individual fishermen, stopping destructive and illegal fishing practices, developing
and implementing appropriate fishery polices, rules and regulations, setting up protected
areas, and restocking o f collapsed fishery based on updated information. What we have seen
is that those practical strategies are lacking in the case o f Lake Hawassa. For effective
implementation o f sustainable fishery in Lake Hawassa, three mitigation measures:
conducting regular exploratory fishery survey, updating the existing fishery management tools
and allocating adequate budget for the sector are suggested.

4.5.1.Conduct exploratory fishery survey

The aquatic ecosystem and its resources are a dynamic system of living renewable resources.
Changes in the aquatic resource particularly the fishery cannot be achieved by the action of
humans alone. New developments in technology as well as in market conditions will make
certain resources attractive and hence changes likely to happen. Scientific observations for
data gathering and fish catches validation purposes become much more crucial for the
Ethiopian water bodies as the fishing pressure is ever increasing. In the case o f Lake Hawassa
changes in total catches (size and quantity), number of fishermen (legal and illegal) and
fishing efforts in general are reported by different authors and mentioned in different sections
o f this document. Therefore availing more or better data on the current status o f the fish stock
is o f paramount importance to generate and suggest valid recommendations based on
sustainable data collection and analysis. Besides generating current information on the fishery
o f the lake, conducting regular exploratory fishery survey will enable the implementers to
know how effectively rules and regulations are implemented and also their drawbacks for
future improvement.

56
 4.5.2.Update existing fishery m an agem ent tools

Existing fishery management tools should be checked for their validity based on the analysis
of current information on fish stocks, number o f fishermen and fishermen cooperatives,
fishing vessels and other relevant data. Therefore implementation o f different management
strategies and/or tools such as avoiding distinctive fishing gears and illegal fishing, setting up
protected areas, increasing and/or decreasing fishing efforts, improving or changing fishery
management policies and others will be possible whenever there is current and updated
information on the aquatic ecosystem and its resources. However this is a major problem for
most o f the water bodies in Ethiopia. Lack o f consistency in generating data and information
on the current status o f the water bodies and their resources as well as fragmented information
by different stakeholders (no centralized data base system) lead to failure to design and
implement appropriate aquatic resources management strategies. We suggest that there has to
be lake and/ or clustered lakes based data base real-time information system for effective and
sustainable management o f our fragile aquatic ecosystem.

4.5.3.Allocate ad equ ate budget to the fishery sector

Fish is the main source o f animal protein and an important source o f vital micro-nutrients
(Heck et al., 2007) and provides direct source o f livelihoods and indirect employment
opportunities for millions of Africans. However, in spite of the benefits, the potential of
fisheries for rural development and sustainable livelihoods interventions, fisheries were yet to
capture the attention of many donors and national governments in the region (Bene, 2011).
This holds true in the case of Ethiopia where fishery is not properly addressed while there are
enormous efforts to transform other agricultural sectors.

The Government o f Ethiopia is pursuing Agricultural Lead Industrialization Strategy to

develop the agriculture sector and use the agricultural products as an input for the industries.
Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), Growth and
Transformation Plan (GTP) and the Ministry o f A griculture’s Agricultural Growth Program
(AGP) are some examples which show the commitment o f the government to develop the
agriculture sector. The commitment is not only in developing good strategies and plans but
also in allocating budget to achieve the objectives of the strategies. Ensuring food security of
the population on which the government is tirelessly working on is one of the targets set to
meet with time. However the wellbeing o f the people will be achieved not only by fulfilling

57
food self-sufficiency but it is when food security is coupled with nutrition security. Fish
which is the main source o f animal protein can be considered to achieve this objective. It also
provides employment opportunities particularly for women and youth. Despite al) the
benefits, the fishery in Ethiopia which is under the livestock subsector, still lacks due
consideration. Proper attention should be given and resource allocated to sustainably utilize
the aquatic resources o f Lake Hawassa in particular and the country in general.

58
 Chapter V

5. Project implementation strategies

The centerpiece o f this chapter is presenting effective and efficient implementation strategies
for sustainable fishery in Lake Hawassa focusing on four intervention areas 1) over-fishing
and fish breeding habitat degradation 2) lake water pollution 3) fish handling and processing
and 4) fish stock enhancement.

0 \ er-exploitation of fisheries resource and environmental degradation are often of social,

economic, institutional and/or political origins (See chapter I and IV). The primary concerns
o f sustainable fisheries management, therefore, should target on the conservation o f the
resource so that the resource can also be used by the future generations.

If effective and long lasting solutions are required for sustainable utilization o f Lake Hawassa
fishery, a system which promotes coordinated development and management o f the lake and
its surrounding catchment should be in place. This has to be practiced in a manner without
compromising the sustainability o f the lake ecosystems. Responsibilities should be shared
among various stockholders (governmental and non-governmental organizations, community
based organizations and associations etc.). Any overlap of tasks among the actors should be
solved through participation and discussion. The success of government policies, programs
and services depend heavily on the available resources, skills and technical expertise o f the
responsible institutions. The relevant institutions should be structured in a way to ensure
effective outcomes and must be supported with a legislative and efficient administrative
framework. Participation of different societal groups is not only desirable as a matter of
democratic right, but also to ensure interests of different groups and beneficiaries in the
fishery sector, A participatory process allows stakeholders to take part in decision-making in
relation to policies and actions to be undertaken by the government on their behalf, whereby
they also accept some degree o f responsibility for those decisions made.

59
 * 1-50
• status
Research
• breeding Technical aid
---- *

Improved technologies
• Policy
Managment guideline
• Proclamations
Sustainable Communication tools
• Strategic documents
(on Fishery; water fishery of
resource, health Hawassa
environmental)

Institutional
arrangment

Task sharing
Governmental- regular monitoring
Coordination
NGOs
Human capacity
Private campanies _______
Institutional capacity
Regional associations • Livelihood improved
Community mobilization
Local campanies Lake ecosystem survices Forming groups/associations
sustained

Figure 15 Conceptual frameworks for sustainable fishery resources utilization in Lake Hawassa

5.1. Im plem en tatio n strategies to reduce over-fish in g and protect fish breeding

habitat d eg radation

The underlying causes o f over-fishing and fish habitat degradation are known to be o f social
and economic origins. Therefore, the primary concerns o f sustainable fisheries in Lake
Hawassa should address the relationship o f fisheries resources to human benefit and the
conservation o f the resource for sustainable utilization. Policy interventions, if they are to
bring about lasting solutions, must address these concerns. Fishermen participation in the
management process can provide indigenous knowledge to supplement scientific information,
to help the monitoring o f the resource, and to improve overall management. It is recognized
that a fishery cannot be managed effectively without the collaborative effort o f all
stakeholders. As one o f the inland water bodies o f the country, sustainable fishery
management o f the Lake Hawassa should be enforced with laws, rules and regulations and

60
many o f them are quite specific and well stipulated on paper. However, the capacity of
different governmental institutions to enforce/ effect these regulations is very limited. In this
regard task/responsibility sharing and allocation of decisions to the lower administrative
structures may be more effective than the management efforts from under-staffed and under­
funded higher government offices.

The depletion o f capture fishery from inland water bodies o f Ethiopia is discussed in chapter 1

and 2. If sustainable utilization of Lake Hawassa fishery is required to improve the livelihood
of the local community, strong formal and social institutions/organizations/groups with
adequate knowledge and capacity should be involved to reduce overfishing and shoreline
degradation. In this regard the regional agricultural office through livestock directorate,
Hawassa city Natural resource and environmental protection office, Hawassa city
municipality, Southern Agricultural Research Institute —through fishery research case team,
Hawassa university, regional cooperative office, local-national and international NGOs,
community based organizations, fishery cooperatives should work hand-in-hand with full
responsibilities and commitment. Table 6 shows major actors involved to reduce/stop
overfishing and buffer zone degradation with their major roles and responsibilities.

Table 6 Suggested stockholders and their responsibilities to halt over-fishing and fish breeding sites degradation in
Lake Hawassa.

No. Institution/team Duties and responsibilities

1 SNNP agricultural office - • Regular monitoring of the fishing gears-mesh
Livestock team- fishery experts size and vessels used for fishing in lake
Hawassa
• Reinforce regional fishery proclamations and
regulations
• Participate in organizing community based
fishers and train them about sustainable
fishery activities

2 Hawassa city Natural resource • Reinforce regional buffer zone protection

and environmental protection proclamations and regulations
office • Reinforce national and regional
Environmental protection proclamations and
regulations
• Establish community mobilizer groups to
reduce shoreline activities
• Organize a forum for integrated buffer zone
protection and sustainable fishery in Lake
Hawassa.
3 SARI, EIAR, HU • Conduct research on maximum sustainable
yield, fishery biology (e.g. breeding season

61
 for commercially important fish sp. o f the
lake), 50% maturity stage, etc.
• Update scientific information and
communicate to relevant stakeholders.
• Avail a technology that enables seed
multiplication o f Lake Hawassa fish strain.
4 NGOs • Organize training for local community,
fishers associations and shoreline inhabitants
on sustainable lake management.
• Support off season activities o f fishers e.g.
fattening, poultry, duck rearing, expand lake
tourism etc.)
• Assist community groups involved in organic
municipal waste collection and processing -
conversion to bio fertilizers and bio-fuel.
•
5 Fishery cooperatives • Implement recommended fishing gear (net
with mesh size 8 and above cm, and hooks)
in open water.
• Use appropriate and recommended number
o f gears and vessels.
• Do not perform fishing in the macrophyte
belts o f die lake - mandatory during the
breeding season o f important fishes (Tilapia,
Catfish, Barbus)
• Protect shoreline macrophytes form damage
during fish collection and landing.
• Collect, dry and store fish-bone thrown in the
landing site and process bone-meal for
poultry and other fattening activities during
o ff season.
• Participate in other income generating
activities during o ff season (e.g. recreation,
boat transport, fruit production, etc.)

6 Local community • Exercise cultural lake protection practices

• Protect conserved lake sides in their vicinity
• Exercise scientific knowledge on Lake
Fishery management practices.

5.2. Im plem en tatio n strateg y to reduce aquatic pollution ui L ake H aw assa

Lake Hawassa suffers from pollutants o f organic and inorganic types originating from point
and non-point sources. (See Chapter 2 and 4, SOS 2014). Some o f these pollutants affect the
growth and reproduction o f commercially important fish species in Lake Hawassa in addition
to their toxicity and fatal effect. For example Zinabu and Zeriluin (2002), Behailu et al.

62
(20 0), Kassaye (2013) reported mortality o f fry o f tilapia and accumulation of heavy metals
in their tissues. Therefore, implementation strategy to reduce these pollutants from their
sou ce ov along their way requires inter-related intervention measures. Effective and efficient
control o f pollution in Lake Hawassa can be possible, if the contributors of pollutant and the
implementers fully understand the ecosystem services of Lake Hawassa for the local
community, Hawassa city development and the region as a whole. SOS-Sahel (2014)
proposed integrated and inter-disciplinary approach with full responsibility and institutional
arrangement. Table 7 shows the major stakeholders to participate in the process o f reducing
pollution of Lake Hawassa.

Table 7 Suggested stockholders and their responsibilities to reduce organic and inorganic pollution in Lake Hawassa.

No. Institution/team Roles and responsibilities

1 Hawassa city • Take the leading role to mobilize other sectorial
Natural resource and institutions (e.g. water, health, agriculture, city council,
environmental transport etc.) to be involved in the implementation of
protection office proclamations and regulations o f environmental
protection.
• Reinforce national and regional environmental protection
proclamations and regulations
• Identify modem technologies that reduce pollution at
their source or along the route, and mobilize resource
from companies, GOs and NGOs.
• Establish work force with defined task and link them with
discussion making groups ( city administrators, politician
and regional officials)
• Undertake regular environmental inspection in the major
industries/companies around and in the city/lake on
regular bases, and communicate good experiences to
minimize the release o f pollutants to the aquatic
environment.
• Establish community tnobilizer groups who regularly
work with the environmental protection office.
• Organize regular forum with major stakeholders to
communicate success stories, identify persisting
challenges and to discuss on future actions and way
forwards.
• Building the human and institutional capacity o f
environmental protection office for effective and efficient
implementation o f rules and evaluate performance
efficiency o f methods and technologies to minimize
aquatic pollution.

63
2 Hawassa • Implement and ensure proper collection, transportation
Municipality and disposal o f solid and liquid municipal wastes.
• Establish systematically organized community leaders at
sub-cities and kebeles as major actors to mobilize the
community to separate, store or recycle their solid wastes
and dispose liquid wastes in the proper ditches/waste
channels.
• Introduce and manage constructed wetlands to treat liquid
organic wastes before entering the lake.
• Introduce a bio-processer or converter technology that
uses fully sorted/separated solid wastes or its by-product
as an input and release bio fertilizer, energy (heat and
electricity) and inputs for factories.
• Deliver solid waste collection vessels separately as
organic, plastic, paper, electronic, glasses.
3 Regional agriculture • Introduce and organize integrated catchment
bureau management o f Lake Hawassa.
• Practice soil and water conservation methods in the
catchment (e.g. terracing, afforestation, fruit tree
plantation, coffee plantation, chat/enset plantation etc.
and vetiver system in the lake shore)
4 NGOs • Provide assistance (technical and financial) for the local
community to separate their solid waste into organic and
inorganic - provide training and collecting apparatus.
• Assist fishers to install safe disposal o f fish-by-product
(waste) at the landing sites (installation o f water taps-
waste accumulation and disposal equipment).
• Participate in the implementation and provision of
municipal waste minimization methods/technologies
together with environmental office, city council and
municipality.

5 Fishery cooperatives • Use recommended and installed fish processing and by­
product waste disposal system

6 Local community • Separate and store solid waste into organic (e.g. food
related wastes) and inorganic (e.g. plastics, glass etc.).
• Practice simple technology/methods to process and
convert organic wastes into fertilizers and biofuel.

64
 5.3. I m p le m e n ta tio n str a te g y fo r im p r o v e d fish h a n d lin g an d p r o c e ssin g

Fish handling and processing is a major problem for inland fisheries in Ethiopia and the same
holds true for Lake Hawassa (section 4.6). In terms o f post-harvest loss minimization,
fishermen in Lake Hawassa have good experience that can be transferred to other lakes of the
country. Fishermen in Lake Hawassa provide gutted whole fish, fillet and filleted caracas to
retailers, local buyers and shore side food makers after removing the gut content, fish-eye and
gills. However, the process o f filleting and gutting at the landing site is unhygienic and the
sanitation is extremely poor. If technical and material supports are provided to licensed
fishermen at landing site, the handling and processing conditions will improve significantly.
The technical supports may include provision of practical training; assign fishermen based on
their training level and follow up their progress and performance regularly. The material
support includes construction/installation o f simple fish processing shed equipped with
processing tools, installation o f cooling system, continuous water supply (tapped) and waste
collecting structures. Currently it seems that there is no market problem at the landing site
and the price is determined based on the size o f the fish: small size - 4 birr, medium size - 7
birr and big size 12 birr per whole fish (personal communication with fishermen at the landing
site). Establishing fish selling unit equipped w ith freezing/storage facilities at the landing site
(owned by fishers association or micro-groups) and practicing modem marketing system (e.g.
sell in terms of weight in kilogram) significantly improve the supply of hygienic fish product
to consumers. In addition all these intervention measures this process should be regulated by
rules in favor o f all actors (producers-retailers-consumers). The overall route to supply
hygienic fish product to consumers/retailers is indicated in Figure 16.

65
 Landing site (boats, nets, fishes)

Figure 16 A diagram showing a pathway to effective and hygienic fish processing and handling in Lake Hawassa.

To ensure the fish processing and handling procedures hygienic and efficient at the landing
site o f Lake Hawassa (AmoraGedel), relevant stakeholders should share tasks and
responsibilities (Table 8 ).

Table 8 Suggested stockholders and their responsibilities to supph safe and hygienic fish for consumers from Lake
Hawassa.

No. Institution/team Roles and responsibilities

1 Co-operative • Aware each association member to implement safe fish
office processing techniques and abide to the processing
guideline for users.
• Take a discipline measure to a member who did not
follow the required procedures.
2 Hawassa city • Assign expert who regularly monitor proper waste
Natural resource disposal system from the processing unit, and evaluate
and the overall improvement in supplying hygienic fish
environmental (processing and selling hubs).
protection office • Control illegal fishing activities and limit landing sites.

66
 • Give training for fishers, onsite food makers, retailers,
local buyers on hygienic fish processing and handling
procedures.
• Create awareness on legal issues related to healthy
environment.
• Arrange fund raising forums to equip fish handling and
processing units in the landing site.
3 Hawassa Health • Give training on the potential health risks related to un­
bureau hygienic fish handling and processing
4 NGOs • Provide a prototype fish processing and selling units for
fishers/groups at the landing site and train them for
proper use and extension.
• Assist fishermen association to equip their fish
processing unit and selling hub.
5 Onsite • Demand standard and fair price for safely prepared
buyers/sellers gutted and filleted fish (set price per kg).
• Avoid buying fishes from illegal fishermen that
processed fish un-hygienic.
6 Fishermen • Follow safe fish processing, selling and waste disposal
techniques in the landing site.
• Keep their working environment clean from any
pollutants/dirt.
• Protect their landing site from any waste (solid and
liquid) and use it as means of income through tourism.

5.4. Im plem entation strategy to enhance the fish recru itm en t in Lake H aw assa

Recent study by Kassahun (2015) showed that more than 85% of the total annual catch in
Lake Hawassa is contributed by the Nile tilapia ( Oreochromisniloticus) followed by Cat
fish ('Clariasgariepinus) and large Barbus (Lebeobarbusintennedius). Tilapia is the most
preferred fish by consumers residing in Hawassa city and currently more than 1000 nets
are deployed every day by fishermen. Therefore, in addition to implementing sound
management practice to overcome overfishing o f tilapia, stock enhancement should be
done as important strategy for sustainable fish recruitment in Lake Hawassa. Tilapia stock
enhancement could be done in two ways: a), natural enclosure and b) pond seed
multiplication.

Year round area enclosure: Tilapia breeds all years round in the tropical climate but the
peak breeding season in Lake Hawassa occurs between February and May. July and
August (see chapter 1 and 2). During these breeding seasons, tilapia usually migrates to
the littoral zone o f the lakes preferably in the vegetation belt. The vegetation zone
provides protection for parent fish from predators and also serves as nursery and growing
site for fish fries and fingerlings. Therefore, protecting selected breeding sites o f tilapia
from any human interference will significantly enhance the stock in the lake system. This
could be possible and effective through collaborative work o f relevant institutions,
organizations, companies, NGOs, community groups. These actors should be well aware
o f the importance o f enclosure sites to enhance fish recruitment in Lake Hawassa and
should be supported by environmental and other sectorial institutions proclamations and
rules.
These enclosed sites are also be used as other means of income for fishers/local
communities through tourism after some investment (e.g. shore-log, view-point).

Pond seed multiplication and stocking: Tilapia seed multiplication is a common practice
in earthen ponds. The breeding ponds can be prepared close to the lake side and/or use the
existing once - so that the lake water is used for ponds. Selected macrophytes that are
collected from the lake will be planted inside the breeding ponds in addition to other pond
facilities for breeding. Matured tilapia fish from Lake Hawassa (with support o f fish
experts) will be stocked to the breeding ponds. In addition to proper pond management
practices (water re-filling, predator control, water quality monitoring etc.), formulated
feed will be supplied to speed up the growth o f fingerlings before stocking to the lake.
Experts from South Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Ethiopian Institute of
Agricultural Research (EIAR) and fish experts from regional agricultural bureau (RAB)
are key stockholders to give technical back up for successful seed production in ponds.
 SARI, EIAR, RAB SARI, EIAR, HU

Seed multiplication technology Research

Pond management system Progress report
Training Training

Tilapia seed multiplication ponds Selected enclosed fish

breeding sites in the lake

Tilapia fingerlings '

GOs and NGOs S

t EPA, Local administrators
Funding
0
Regular monitoring Implementation of regulations
c
Corrective measures k Awareness creation
i
1 monitoring and punishment
n
g
V7
Enhanced fish recruitment in lake Hawassa

Figure 17 Proposed institutional linkage and major activities towards enhanced tilapia fish recruit in Lake Hawassa.

I n s t r u c t i o n a l a r r a n g e m e n t a n d re s p o n sib ilitie s

For successful seed production and enhancement of fish recruitment in Lake Hawassa,
relevant sectorial institutions and other organizations (e.g. NGOs, community based
associations and religious/civic associations) should collaborate and work together. Relevant
stockholders are indicated below in Table 9.

Table 9 Suggested stockholders and their responsibilities to enhance tilapia fish recruitment in Lake Hawassa.

No. Institution/team Roles and responsibilities

1 Hawassa city Natural • Select fish breeding sites that could be protected/
resource and conserved in view of maintaining fish diversity and
environmental improving aesthetic values in Lake Hawassa.
protection office and • Aware and enforce rules and regulations o f EPA for
Zonal environmental protected areas.
protection office • Initiate collaborative work and organize training that
focuses on sustainable fishery and lake shore
utilization.
• Take the leading role to organize a forum for
awareness creation and fund raising.
2 SARI, EIAR, HU • Provide suitable tilapia seed multiplication

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 technologies in the shorelines o f the lake and in
ponds.
• Provide a guideline for tilapia seed production,
rearing in ponds and stocking to the lake.
• Conduct research on reproductive success o f tilapia
in natural and semi-artificial methods, and suggest
other techniques if any gap observed.
3 NGOs • Give technical and material support to construct fish
breeding ponds
• Participate and collaborate with Hawassa city
Natural resource and environmental protection office
and other sectorial institutions in the process and
realization o f protected breeding site in Lake
Hawassa.
• Support local community to use the protected sites
as means o f income ( e.g. tourism).
4 Local administrators / • Participate in the process o f site selection for fish
community breeding sites.
• Aware the community about the importance and
benefit o f enclosures/protected area in the lake
shoreline including punishment onoffenders.
• Assist the community who fully depend on the
resource in the enclosed site to acquire new job
opportunity.

5.5. L eg a l fr a m e w o r k s

The constitution o f Federal Democratic Republic o f Ethiopia is the supreme law of the
country and it grants all persons the right to clean and healthy environment. It also grants
every Ethiopian the right to develop in sustainable manner (i.e. development that meets
the need o f the present generation without compromising the environmental requirements
o f the future generation). Moreover, the constitution imposed duties and responsibilities to
both federal and regional governments and all citizens to protect the environment and the
use o f aquatic resources in a sustainable manner. Among others, the Ethiopian
government issued environmental and water resources management policies and declared
proclamations that adequately state power and responsibilities o f implementing
institutions (e.g. environmental protection organ - proclamation No.295/2002, Water

70
resource management proclamation - proclamation No. 197/2000, Fisheries development
and utilization - proclamation N o.32/2003).
Government institutions responsible to implement these proclamations usually suffer from
limited human capacity and lack of sectorial inter-collaboration, coordination and finical
limitation (See chapter 3). This implementation problem can be solved through
institutional collaboration and awareness creation o f the local community.

Institutional collaboration: Most o f the relevant sectorial institutions are working in

isolation confined only to their duties. There seems to be no synergy and collaboration
between government ministries and institutions. For example the Ministry o f Agriculture
promotes maximum fish production from the lake, water withdrawal for irrigation,
expansion o f agricultural activities for economic development in the lake catchment. On
the other hand, EPA is promoting clean - healthy environment and sustainable utilization
o f aquatic resources to meet the needs o f the present generation without compromising
with the needs the future generations. Therefore, different institutions responsible for
sustainable fishery in Lake Hawassa (see table 6-9) should collaborate and work together
under the same umbrella ‘sustainable aquatic resource utilization’. Moreover, this
collaboration should avoid duplication o f work and build the capacity and capability of
involved institutions.

Awareness by local community :Severa 1 proclamation and implementation strategies

issued by either Federal or regional government in most cases are not enforced into action.
There must be continuous awareness creation and education programs for the local
community to ensure their involvement to practice the implementation of these decrees. It
is obvious that new project activities supported by policy may temporarily affect the
interest of the local community. Therefore, alternative income generation activities should
be developed for the local community to ensure practical implementation o f the
regulations for the benefits o f various stakeholders in Lake Hawassa.

Based on the implementation strategies described under chapter 5, the following major
proclamations should be implemented at grass root level for sustainable management of
Lake Hawassa fisheries.

71
 Relevant proclamations include:
1. Fisheries Development and Utilization Proclamation ( Proclamation N o.315/2003)
2. The Southern Nations, Nationalities and people’s Regional State Proclamation issued
to determine fish resources management, development and control proclamation
(Proclamation No. 78/2004)
3. The 1999 Ethiopian water resource management policy
4. The 1997 Environmental policy o f Ethiopia
5. SNN PR’s proclamation on the establishment o f buffer zone to protect lake Hawassa
6 . Environmental Protection Organs Establishment Proclamation (Proclamation No.
295/2002)
7. Environmental pollution control proclamation (Proclamation No. 300/2002)
8 . Water resource management proclamation (Proclamation No. 197/2000)

9. Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation (Proclamation No. 299/2000)

10. Solid waste management proclamation (Proclamation No. 513/2007)
11. The 2009 National Aquaculture Development Strategy o f Ethiopia
12. Public health proclamation (Proclamation No. 200/2000)

Table 10 Relevant proclamations and leading institutions required for integrated sustainable fishery resource in Lake
Hawassa.

Interventions Proclamations Leading institution

5.1 Implementation 1,2,3, 4, 11 • Regional agricultural bureau
strategies to minimize • SARI, EIAR, EPA
over-fishing and fish
breeding habitat
degradation
5.2 Implementation 3.4,6,7,8,9,10 • Regional EPA office
strategy to reduce • Hawassa city Natural resource and
aquatic pollution in environmental protection office
Lake Hawassa • Hawassa city council/ Municipality
• Local administrators

5.3. Implementation 1,2,7,12 • Hawassa city Natural resource and

strategy for improved environmental protection office
fish handling and • Ministry of health (regional -H aw assa
processing city health bureau)
• Regional co-operative office
• Local administrators
5.4. Implementation 1,2,3,5,8,11 • Fishery research institutes (EIAR,
strategy to enhance SARI. HU)
 Tilapia fish stock in • Regional and Hawassa city Natural
Lake Hawassa resource and environmental protection
office
• Hawassa city council/ Municipality
• Local administrators
*Number 1-12 indicates legal documents indicated above the table.

5 .6 . In te r v e n tio n A r e a s fo r S O S -S a h e l (o th e r N G O s) in L a k e H a w a s s a

SOS-Sahel can intervene in several ways in order to overcome/reduce challenges o f the Lake
Hawassa fishery at institutional and community level. Some o f these are indicated in Table 6 -
9 under responsibilities/duties given to NGOs. Below important participation and intervention
areas o f SOS-SAHEL towards sustainable utilization o f Lake Hawassa fishery are described.

Facilitate institu tional collaborative w ork

The factors for the decline o f fish production in Lake Hawassa are manifold and complex (see
Chapter 1, 2 and 4) which require collaborations within and between relevant institutes. In
this regard SOS-SAHEL will contribute in the following aspects:

• Support committed institutions in terms o f human and material capacity to meet their

extended objective. For example Hawassa city Natural Resource and Environmental
Protection office is striving hard towards pollution problem o f the lake, buffer zone
protection etc. to ensure ecosystem services in Lake Hawassa. Therefore, if SOS-
SAHEL Ethiopia works with these types o f institutions and act as intermediary to
bring on board together other sectorial institution, measurable progress can be made
towards sustainable fishery production in Lake Hawassa.

• Provide support for government proposed projects to overcome the problems facing
Lake Hawassa specifically on water quality and fishery. For example, Hawassa city
council and municipality in collaboration with SN N PR 's Environmental Protection
offices are working towards safe collection, transportation and disposal of domestic
and industrial wastes to the lake. SOS-Sahel can support the relevant institutions
technically and financially to install and construct waste reducing structures (e.g.
constructed wetland, ditches and solid waste screening structures) before reaching the
lake.

73
 • SOS-Sahel can also incorporate several activities that will improve livelihood o f the
local community and reduce pressure on the lake fishery under its mega-project. For
example, community based training and capacity building to reduce solid and liquid
waste at household level or provide simple processing mechanisms such as compost
production and biofuel which brings double benefits. (E.g., healthy environment and

household income diversification). Further development and extension of the

technologies techniques could be scaled up by community/association leaders and
relevant institutions.

S u p p o rt for local com m unity o r association

SOS-Sahel can also participate in various community based activities that contribute to
sustainable fish production in Lake Flawassa. Major areas o f interventions include

1. Lake catch men I protection

This can be done either as a complement to the organization’s mega-project in the region
or as a supplement to the government water and soil conservation plan. Based on the
nature o f the catchment the following strategic intervention measures could be
implemented in the lake catchment:

• Afforestation

• Fruit tree planting

• Terracing

• Vetiver system

2. Create new job opportunities fo r fishers during offseason

Fishing in the lake can be conducted throughout the year but for sustainable fisheries, there
must be no fishing during off-seasons. For example the breeding seasons o f commercially
important fish species o f the lake (Tilapia) should be closed or fishing effort should decrease
significantly during their pick breeding season. During these seasons the fishers should
participate in other income earning activities. These activities may require initial investment
and/or continuous training which can be accomplished by SOS-Sahel. The following off­
season activities are suggested:

74
 • Recreation and tourism (use their boats)

• Fattening in group or individual based

• Organic fertilizer from domestic wastes (Compost production)

• Poultry

• Animal fodders (silage)

• Bone meal for poultry (collected from food makers in the landing sites during
fishing period)

• Seed multiplication (e.g. coffee, fruit tree -various types, commercial tree like
eucalyptus etc.)

3. Supply a prototype fo r fish handling and processing in the landing site

As it is discussed in chapter 4 and 5, fish handling and processing in the landing site o f Lake
Hawassa is extremely poor. Thus SOS-SAHEL can contribute through provision o f simple
fish processing and selling units at AmoraGedel that will be managed by fishers (preferably
by female members). As indicated in Figure 16, the fish processing and selling units are not
complex but efficient enough to supply hygienic fish to consumers. The major structures and
kits in the processing unit include:

• Processing shed - well fixed at top and bottom

• Table with water proof top cover that can be used for washing, gutting and filleting

• Tap water supply (connected to water storage structure or main water line)

• Knife - locally made preferred by fishers

• Plastic made waste collecting containers

• Refrigerator (can be used also in the selling hub)

• Weighing balance (can be used also in the selling hub)

• Plastic bags - should be transparent for keeping individual/group fishes separately

The selling unit should also be simple and safe to deliver hygienic fish product received from
processing units. The hub should contain:
• Well aerated room made o f tin sheets

• Small plastic bags

• Weighing balance

• Refrigerator

• White coat for seller

75
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