Fish Fauna and Fishery in Ethiopia, Africa

This chapter highlights the diversity of Ethiopian fish species across 12 drainage basins. These include the Wabishebele-Genale, Abay, Omo-Gibe, Awash, Rift Lakes, and Baro Akobo basins. Ethiopia’s lakes, rivers, and reservoirs harbor over 200 fish species, categorized into East African, Nilo Sudanic, and endemic forms. The Nilo-Sudanic species are most diverse, particularly in the Abay, Baro-Akobo, Omo-Gibe, and Tekeze basins. Highland lakes and northern Rift Valley lakes host East African forms. Each of the seven drainage basins holds varying numbers of fish species, with high levels of endemism in the Abay, Rift Valley, and Awash basins. Endemic species counts are as follows: Abay (23), Rift Valley (7), Awash (6), Omo (2), and Baro (1). Rapid population growth, unemployment, and ineffective fisheries management threaten fish diversity. To prevent further degradation, urgent watershed management actions such as forestation, soil conservation, controlled grazing, and banning hillside crop farming are imperative in Ethiopia.