Tesfaye, Gashaw, Cheffo, A. and Abegaz, H. (2011) Fish species composition, abundance and production potential of Tendaho Reservoir in Afar Regional State, Ethiopia. In: Impact of climate change and population on tropical aquatic resources. Proceedings of the Third International Conference of the Ethiopian Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Association (EFASA). , ed. by Lemma, B. and Getahun, A.. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, pp. 164-190.

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Fish is a healthy and often a traditional food resource in the rural areas of many developing countries. However, providing it to a growing population is becoming a challenge for most developing nations including Ethiopia. So, strategies that are less resource intensive, relatively easy to transfer and adapt technically have to be developed. The Ethiopian government has been implementing many multifaceted water resource development projects primarily for hydro-power generation and irrigation agriculture, which also creates an opportunity to boost fish production in food insecure areas like Afar. Thus, this study aims at assessing the existing fish species, estimating the production potential of the reservoir and recommend possible intervention measures to start operation. The study was conducted from January to February 2010 and includes literature review and field assessment. Fish samples were collected using gill nets of different mesh size and a total of 340 fish specimens were collected. Length and weight of fresh fish samples were measured to the nearest 0.1cm and 0.1g, respectively. The production potential was estimated based on different empirical models. Electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and water temperature were measured in situ with a digital multiline universal meter. The reservoir as part of River Awash is expected to have the fish species found in the basin. However, during the survey, only four commercially important fish species were identified in the reservoir, namely: Oreochromis niloticus, Clarias gariepinus, Cyprinus carpio and Barbus intermedius. These species are successfully colonized the reservoir and are able to form different size classes indicating the species are well adapted to the lentic environment. The estimated potential yield ranges from 938 to 1759 t/year and an average of 1345 t/year. This potential could support about 170 to 340 fishers and an average of 255 fishermen having about 2 gillnets with 10cm stretched mesh size per fisher. Thus, interventions including organizing fishers cooperative, facilitating access to credit and gear supplies, capacity building through training and extension, infrastructure support, fish consumption promotion, resource monitoring and management and aquaculture development both in the reservoir and associated irrigation cannels are recommended. Generally, the reservoir has an excellent potential to improve the livelihoods of societies in the region.

Document Type:	Book chapter
Programme Area:	UNSPECIFIED
Research affiliation:	Integrated Modelling > Resource Management
Date Deposited:	30 Sep 2019 14:00
Last Modified:	26 Mar 2024 13:29
URI:	http://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/2953

Actions (login required)

View Item