Environmental and Social Impact Assessment - Gibe III

Gibe III – Environmental and Social Impact Assessment 300 ENV R CS 002 C - A9003099
Photo 5.20: Typical fishing activities at the mouth of Omo River near Lake Turkana
The Bacha people are found on the Omo River in the vicinity of Hana and they rely almost exclusively upon
fish for their existence. They supplement this diet with grains through rudimentary cultivation along the river
banks during the wet season. They occasionally sell dried fish on the local markets in order to buy items such
as clothes or utensils. The Dasenech people are found at Bubua on the northern shore of Lake Turkana and
they also rely exclusively upon fish for their subsistence.
In addition to these two ethnic groups, there are few “full-time” fishermen operating on the Omo River
around Omo Rate. There is a small surplus catch which is sold locally in Omo Rate, but the availability of
fresh fish in the town is sporadic and fish eating is not widely accepted.
All other people in the lower part of the Omo are agropastoralist or pastoralist cattle herders. These people
do not catch or eat fish and consider fishing and those who engage in it as inferior and primitive.
Commercial fishing activity was initiated by Ethiopian Fish Production and Marketing Enterprise and by the
Region Pastoral Area Development Coordination Commission within the Lower Omo River including the
part of Lake Turkana, which lies within Ethiopia. The Commission established an association having 100
members from the pastoral community and The Ethiopian Fish Production and Marketing Enterprise
organized around 15 individual for commercial fishing activities around Lake Turkana. One Investor and the
Ethiopian Fish Production and Marketing Enterprise collect production from those Fishery associations and
send to the central Market. On the contrary, the fishing that does occur along the Omo River by various
ethnic groups is limited to basic subsistence fishing.
CESI SpA - Mid-Day International Consulting Engineers Page 178