Fisheries Resources of Sudan

  • Published : 2008.03.31

Abstract

Sudan is the largest country in Africa with an area of $2,505,810km^2$, of water constitutes $129,810km^2$, and cultivable land is 34%. Sudan has a total land boundary of 7,687 km with 9 border countries. This vast country embraces different vegetation patterns reflecting various climatic zones, grading from tropical rain forests in the south through semi-tropical savannah to arid zone in the extreme north, with annual rainfall ranging from 1,600 mm in the south to 25 mm in the north. The aquaculture industry is not developed as yet. Because of their basic characteristics, the Sudan inland and marine capture fisheries are of a small-scale and semi-industrial nature. The demand for fish and fish preparations is growing steadily. The animal resources sector (which includes fisheries) contributes 21% of Sudan GDP. The contribution of fisheries to Sudanese GDP is currently marginal. The per caput supply is only 1.6 kg/year, which is mostly obtained by capture fish landings. Despite the fact that fisheries GDP is extremely low, fish and fish preparations contribute to the food security of a wide sector of the rural and urban communities. Fisheries also provide work opportunities in the form of secondary employment as a source of income that indirectly contributes to household food security.

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