Africa: Ethiopia's Lake Tana Is Losing the Fight to Water Hyacinth

analysis

Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia. It holds 50% of the country's fresh water. It is also the source of the Blue Nile, which contributes up to 60% of the Nile's water. Not only is the lake important as a water source for over 123 million people in the Nile Basin, it is also a source of food in the form of fish. But weeds are threatening this life-giving resource.

The lake has been listed in the top 250 lake regions of Global Importance for Biodiversity. It has 28 species of fish, of which 21 are endemic. Commercially, the lake's most important fishes include the large African barbs, Nile tilapia and African catfish. The annual commercial value of fish production at Lake Tana is about USD$1.1 million.

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