Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi directed the government to complete the development cycle of Lake Manzala through an integrated strategy for fishing and fish processing. This came during a meeting on Wednesday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Elsayed Elkosayer, and Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Hani Swailem. During the meeting, the president was briefed on the latest updates in the development and purification of the lake, which is the largest and most important natural lake in Egypt. The lake witnessed remarkable modifications and a qualitative shift after removing the encroachments and unlicensed farms on it, deepening the lake and clearing its water. Development works included removing sediments and weeds, developing the sparks that connect the lake to the Mediterranean Sea using the latest giant dredgers, stopping the flow of waste water to it through the implementation of triple treatment plants, as well as creating a road around the lake to protect it and ensure smooth access to it and facilitate the movement of transport, trade and people. These efforts led to the restoration of the natural condition and ecological balance of the lake and the increase of its total area to 250,000 feddan containing pure water that helped in the annual production of fish in quantity and quality. The President also followed up on the efforts to develop Lake Nasser, directing to prepare an integrated study that would benefit from its fish wealth through developing the lake, raising its efficiency and maximizing its fishing capabilities. The meeting also witnessed a review of the executive position of the projects of the Egyptian Countryside Development Company, in terms of total land areas and infrastructure for land reclamation projects, in addition to efforts to provide water metering, as well as addressing existing challenges, in coordination between the company and the two ministries of agriculture, irrigation, and specialized scientific bodies.
