Fishing for the Future

When considering job creation and economic growth, fish don’t usually come to mind. However, Egypt’s aquaculture might just be a sector to look at to help address the country’s high rates of unemployment and poverty. Egyptian aquaculture has seen major growth over the past few decades, increasing from producing 61.9 thousand tonnes of fish in 1990 to 705.5 thousand tonnes in 2009. The aquaculture sector overtook capture fishing in the volume of fish production in 2003. Aquaculture also had an estimated total market value in Egypt of over 1,354.646 million USD in 2009, making it a significant economic industry for the state. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Egyptian aquaculture accounts for 65 percent of the fish produced in the state and 75 percent of the aquaculture occurring in Africa. Aquaculture directly employs around 100,000 Egyptians, meaning they are engaged in either the farming, wholesale or retail sectors of the aquaculture value-chain. In terms of production and job creation, it is estimated that for every 100 tonnes of fish produced there are 14 full-time equivalent jobs.  Beyond direct employment, aquaculture also stimulates many indirect jobs in industries like transportation, feed mills, and hatcheries, which support the work of those farming and selling fish. Notably, around half of those employed in the aquaculture value-chain are Egyptian youth. Specifically in the farming sub-sector, the employment is evenly distributed between those over and under the age of 30. Aquaculture’s relatively high youth employment is significant seeing as the unemployment for Egyptian youth was 38.9 percent in 2013 according to the World Bank in comparison with the overall 12.7 percent unemployment rate. Aquaculture is a sector with easier access for youth, especially since more formal jobs are scarce. The aquaculture sector’s growth rate and ability to create jobs is impressive, but these benefits are threatened by the rise in input costs. The Improving Employment and Incomes through Development of Egypt’s Aquaculture Sector (IEIDEAS) project, sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and managed by CARE Egypt and WorldFish from 2011 to late 2014, looked to sustain the aquaculture sector’s growth. The project was run in five key governorates in Egypt and set out to increase both productivity and profitability of aquaculture. Explicitly, the project aimed to create 10,000 new jobs in aquaculture and increase the net income brought in by the sector. The endeavors pursued by IEIDEAS focused on improving the efficiency and quality of the fish produced by Egyptian farmers. For instance, the program introduced a new breed of tilapia to several Egyptian fish hatcheries that boasts a faster growth rate. This new breed, which was slowly integrated into fish farms, promised to increase the efficiency. To further the mission to increase farmer productivity, WorldFish released a series of videos in Arabic on YouTube covering topics ranging from fish feeding to water management to be utilized by farmers. The hope is that by educating farmers on best practices, their profitability will increase as they are creating a more quality product, more efficiently. IEIDEAS also zeroed on an important sector of aquaculture that often goes unnoticed: women. The retail sector employs around 32,000 people, 30 percent of which are women. While it is significant that women are present in the workforce, especially considering Egypt’s strict gender roles, they still face many challenges when working in fish retail. Fish vending exists in Egypt’s informal economy. While informal jobs are important to diversify citizens’ income streams when formal jobs are scarce, these jobs lack security. Fish retailers are typically unregistered and as a result do not have legal or social protection. For women this often leads to manipulation and intimidation by men when they are trying too sell their fish. In order to combat this issue, IEIDEAS introduced a theater program for female fish retailers. The program simulates confrontations women might encounter when vending. The goal is to empower women and show them how to effectively deal with the challenges they may face. This program also serves as a uniting experience for women, helping them create a supportive community of female fish vendors to look out for one another and gain protection. Beyond employment, aquaculture also is an important sector in the context of Egypt’s looming food security issue. Fish accounts for 38 percent of the animal protein consumed by the Egyptian people and aquaculture is responsible for 65 percent of fish production in Egypt. In regards to poverty, 25 percent of the Egyptian population is impoverished and, according to the World Bank, live below national poverty lines. Because of their limited income, affordable and nutritious food like fish constitutes an essential part of their diet. As Egypt tackles its economic and social issues, the aquaculture industry should not be forgotten. Aquaculture holds great promise for job creation for the state’s unemployed labor force, as well as an opportunity to provide for Egypt’s poor. While Egypt is a nation more known for its deserts than its bodies of water, its aquatic potential is something to be recognized.