Realization of hydraulics design of aquaculture facilities with integration of irrigation systems in the upper Blue Nile basin: Challenges and opportunities for aquaculture development
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##article.abstract##
The general objective of this paper is to review hydraulics design of aquaculture facilities with integration of irrigation systems and assessment of potentials, opportunities and approaches. It also disuses the major reasons why an irrigation engineer in the past had little or no concern to include aquaculture facility designs when dealing with the hydraulic design of irrigation structures in fishable- rivers.. Review of the literature showed that aquaculture is a relatively new and underdeveloped farming practice compared to agriculture and animal husbandry in Ethiopia and even in many parts of the word which can be one reason why irrigation engineers ignored fish facilities earlier. In general in spite of its positive social and environmental attributes which make aquaculture business an attractive entry point to improve the livelihoods of the poor in rural development strategies, the large potential contribution of aquaculture was unappreciated and ignored by most agriculture, water resource, rural development professionals and even by policy makers. This paper also includes results of reviewed design documents of the major irrigation diversion or dams and depicted how large the potential water access in Tana basin is available currently for aquaculture business. Based on the review of detail designs of irrigation and hydropower projects in the basin, currently Tana basin has dependable water bodies of 3,906ha artificial reservoirs, 310,000ha natural lake reservoir, 279.4 km of main canals and 708km of secondary canals that could be utilized for aquaculture purposes. Though ponds and tanks have been expected more in the basin because of their prime resources for freshwater aquaculture development, no practice was found in the basin except for some experimental cases near the lake. In conclusion, the paper also discusses the future perspective of aquaculture development and its research, legal, institutional and policy requirements in creating awareness and finally knowledge in the field.
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
##submission.howToCite##
##plugins.generic.shariff.share##
##submission.citations##
Bertness, M.D., & Bird, K.B. (1999). The Ecology of Atlantic Shorelines. Sinauer Associates Sunderland.
Bunt, C. (2001). Fishway Entrance Modifications Enhance Fish Attraction. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 8, 95-105.
Clay, C.H. (1994). Design of Fishways and Other Fish Facilities. CRC Press.
Edwards, P. (2000). Aquaculture, Poverty Impacts, and Livelihoods. Overseas Development Institute.
Fernando, C., & Halwart, M. (2000). Possibilities for the Integration of Fish Farming into Irrigation Systems. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 7, 45-54.
Halwart, M., Funge-Smith, S., & Moehl, J. (2003). The Role of Aquaculture in Rural Development. Review of the State of World Aquaculture, FAO, Rome, 47-58.
Katopodis, C. (1992). Introduction to Fishway Design. Freshwater Institute, Central and Arctic Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Kuenzer, C., Campbell, I., Roch, M., Leinenkugel, P., Tuan, V.Q., & Dech, S. (2013). Understanding the Impact of Hydropower Developments in the Context of Upstream–Downstream Relations in the Mekong River Basin. Sustainability Science, 8, 565-584.
Larinier, M., & Marmulla, G. (2004). Fish Passes: Types, Principles, and Geographical Distribution – An Overview. Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on the Management of Large Rivers for Fisheries, RAP Publication, 183-206.
Li, Q., Gowing, J., & Mayilswami, C. (2005). Multiple‐Use Management in a Large Irrigation System: An Assessment of Technical Constraints to Integrating Aquaculture within Irrigation Canals. Irrigation and Drainage, 54, 31-42.
Nhan, D.K., Phong, L.T., Verdegem, M.J., Duong, L.T., Bosma, R.H., & Little, D.C. (2007). Integrated Freshwater Aquaculture, Crop, and Livestock Production in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: Determinants and the Role of the Pond. Agricultural Systems, 94, 445-458.
Williams, J., Armstrong, G., Katopodis, C., Larinier, R.M., & Travade, F. (2012). Thinking Like a Fish: A Key Ingredient for the Development of Effective Fish Passage Facilities at River Obstructions. River Research and Applications, 28, 407-417.
Wudneh, T. (1998). Biology and Management of Fish Stocks in Bahir Dar Gulf, Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Wageningen.