Fisheries and Aquaculture Sectors are among the important economic sectors in the country as they contribute to food security and households’ income to fishing communities and other related fisheries communities. The sectors contribution to the National Gross Domestic Products (GDP) for year 2018 was 1.7% with an annual growth rate of 9.2. The growth rate is low compared to the numerous and vast water resources, such as the great lakes, marine waters, minor lakes, dams, rivers and wetlands. However, the contribution to the National GDP can rise to more than 5% if capture fisheries and aquaculture are sustainably managed and rationally utilized.
The low growth rate is contributed by several constrains such as sharp increase in fishing effort, unsustainable harvesting of fisheries resources accelerated by population growth, fish protein demand, use of illegal fishing gears and methods, environmental degradation, ecological changes, climate change and diversification of natural water flow from rivers and streams for different uses, fish post-harvest loses and slow growth rate in aquaculture industry. In order to curb the above constraints an effective research program is of paramount important. Research play a very crucial role in the socio-economic development of fishing communities leading to improved standards of living for fisheries dependent societies e.g. enhancement of fisheries and aquaculture productivity, food security and development of technologies that would simplify people’s lives .