ANALYTICAL ECONOMIC STUDY OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS AFFECTING THE FISH PRODUCTION OF BARDAWIL LAKE

ANALYTICAL ECONOMIC STUDY OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS
AFFECTING THE FISH PRODUCTION OF BARDAWIL LAKE

Gamal EL-Sayed Azazy^*; Saber Mustafa Mohammed^**

and Kamal Ibrahim Ahmed^***

^* Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research,

**National Institute of Oceanographic and Fisheries, Alexandria.

^*** Agricultural Economic
Research Institute.

Abstract

Bardawil Lake has great potential of natural, human, and capital resources, it is one of the most important fisheries, located on the north shore of the Sinai Peninsula and is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by coastline of one kilometer consisting of three regions, most notably Central region Lake of estimated area 106,000 thousand acres, and the Western arm of estimated area 48.1 thousand acre, and Zaranik lake of estimated area 10.2 thousand acres. Bardawil Lake occupies the second position among Egypt Lakes in terms of size, and its production represents about 2.77% of Lakes fisheries and represented about 0.33% of total fisheries production in Egypt with an estimated production of about 4,380 tonnes in 2011, and the estimated productivity per acre was approximately 28.3 kg/acre in the same year.

The Bardawil lake water sources vary between rainwater and seawater. The different degrees of salinity between the Lake and the Mediterranean Sea are considered the main factor in entering the fish into the Lake.

The fish production of Bardawil Lake relies on open fishing, and by studying the production rates for the productivity of the acre, boat, and fisherman during the period (1992-2011), we note increasing productivity per acre about one kilograms by annual increase rate about 4.5%, and increasing productivity per boat about 89 kilograms by annual increase rate about 3.2 %, and increasing the productivity per fisherman about 137 kilograms by annual increase rate about 9.2%.

The number of boats has been also increased to be 15 boats by annual rate of 1.3%, while the number of fishermen has annually decreased to be 107 fishermen by annual decreasing rate about 3.6%, as well as the total production of the Lake is increasing annually to be 88.19 tons by increasing rate 4.5% annually.

Bardawil Lake produces luxury pollution-free high quality fishes.

The relative importance of productivity of fish from the Lake has been estimated as follows, Borea family about 26.1%, crab (Callinectes sapidus) 23.8%, prawns about 18.4%, Seabream about 9.4%, Moussa about 5.1%, Lots about 2.1%, and Karous about 1.8%, as an average during the study period.

The shortage of fuel, particularly gasoline used for fishing boats, the proliferation of spiny snails, and shrimp, and taking portions of the Lake for use to other purposes are considered the most important problems facing the Bardawil.