Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal
Open Access

Abstract

Freshwater Fisheries Resource Potential Estimation: The case of Lake Ardibo, Northern Ethiopia

Wubshet Asnake and Minwyelet Mingist

The study investigates aspects of the fresh water fish resource potential estimation by considering Lake Ardibo, a Crater Lake in the northern highland of Ethiopia. The general aim of this study was to produce a scientific guidance paper on the estimation of fish resource potential of Lake Ardibo and to show the practical applicability of the different fish resource potential estimations models in Lake Ardibo. And this research was done by taking seasonal data from the selected three sampling sites i.e. some limnological parameters (physico-chemical parameters) in the period from February 2009 till January 2010. The sampling sites were located the first one near the shore (littoral site-SS1), the other the vegetated-SS2, one with a relatively dense macrophyte vegetation and the 3rd site was pelagic-SS3. The locations of the sites were identified by the Global Positioning System (GPS). And also series year of catch effort data were collected from Woreda livestock and fishery office and fishery cooperatives. Based on the collected data analysis were made using empirical and Schaefer production models. Hence the empirical models estimation shows 98.1 kg per hectare per year or 206 tons per year; whereas the Schaefer production model gives maximum sustainable yield (MSY) of 3452.5 kg per hectare per year or 3.45 tons per hectare which means 7250 tons per year from the lake and fMSY is 416 standard boats. Results of the Schaefer-Fox model were higher than the empirical estimates. Thus, the Lake can provide sustainable a production of fish, i.e., MSY on average 98.1 kg/ha per year or 206 tons per year from empirically found relationships.