Within the framework of cooperation between the Cooperative Union for Aquatic Wealth and CARE, this book was prepared to document the establishment and development of cooperative organizations in the field of fisheries, the challenges they face, and the role of the Cooperative Union for Aquatic Wealth in addressing them. It also records the achievements accomplished throughout its journey, which began in 1960 and continued until 2015, the year of publication.

The book highlights the role of pioneering leaders in establishing and developing cooperative organizations and the successive cooperative leaderships’ contributions in providing services and reforms—not only to support cooperative associations operating in fisheries and fish farms but also in founding the first governmental body responsible for managing and developing fish resources, the General Authority for Fish Resources Development.

The Cooperative Union for Aquatic Wealth dedicates this book to successive generations of cooperators in the fisheries sector to serve as a beacon guiding and encouraging them to carry the banner and uphold the noble principles of cooperation.

It instills values of selflessness and dedicated service to their communities, inspired by the pioneers of the movement—people of principles and high ideals who acted for the good of others without seeking personal gain, defended their beliefs and organizational integrity with courage, upheld the truth, and rejected hypocrisy and falsehood. They sought a decent life for their families and communities in the fishing sector and strived to preserve fish resources, which are Egypt’s wealth and a legacy for future generations.

As stated in the Holy Qur’an:
"Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah; of them some have completed their vow, and some are still waiting; but they have never changed (their determination) in the least."

— Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 23

Finally, I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the former and current members of the boards of directors for their efforts in supporting the Union’s journey. I also thank Mr. Mustafa Adam Abdel-Taleb, a distinguished cooperator who provided us with historical information and data on fisheries cooperatives, and Dr. Ahmed Baraniya, the scientific advisor to the Union, for his contributions in presenting the Union’s perspective to officials and scientific forums and assisting in the preparation of this book.

1. Aquatic Wealth Cooperatives within the Egyptian Cooperative Movement:
Cooperation is a popular movement arising from economic and social circumstances and the individual’s awareness of the need for collective action. It is a natural behavior to unite efforts to achieve common goals. All divine religions have encouraged cooperation; thus, the cooperative sector represents true popular participation and democratic practice through democratic management, shared responsibility, and self-regulation.

Cooperation reflects the authentic Egyptian values (solidarity, tolerance, dignity of work, moderation, individual for the group and group for the individual), achieving societal balance and confronting extremism, terrorism, and unemployment. Historically, Egyptian cooperative organizations were a key aspect of national work relied upon by the Egyptian national movement in 1908, led by Mustafa Kamel and Mohamed Farid, with cooperative pioneer Omar Lotfy contributing to achieving political and economic independence, which marked the flourishing of cooperative thought.

Pioneer cooperators strived to consolidate cooperative concepts and work on issuing legislation and laws regulating cooperative work, contributing to the establishment of the General Union of Cooperatives, which includes five specialized unions: the Cooperative Union for Aquatic Wealth, Agricultural Cooperative Union, Consumer Cooperative Union, Production Cooperative Union, and Housing Cooperative Union.

2.Cooperative organizations in the fisheries sector:
The first fishermen’s cooperative in Alexandria—Mariout area—was established on 5/3/1943 (The Cooperative Association of Fishermen in Mariout). The establishment of fisheries cooperatives continued until their number reached 20 by 3/8/1959 (before the Union’s foundation). The number of aquatic wealth cooperatives later grew to 98, including 11 cooperatives for fish farmers.

3. Cooperative Union for Aquatic Wealth:
Establishment of the Union:

• On 19/12/1959, representatives of established cooperatives met to form a union and selected a three-member committee led by Mr. Fouad Ahmed Hedia, President of the Cooperative Association of Mechanized Fishing Vessel Owners in Port Said, to take all legal and administrative procedures for registering and publicizing the Union.
• The Union was registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs under No. 21 of 1960 and published in the Egyptian Gazette, issue No. 66, dated 25 August 1960, under the name "Specialized Cooperative Union for Aquatic Wealth."
• The Union and its associations were subject to Law No. 317 of 1956, regulating all types of cooperatives in all forms.
• The first General Assembly of the Union convened on Thursday, 10/11/1960, at the temporary headquarters in Zahraa Building No. 7, Garden City, chaired by Mr. Fouad Ahmed Hedia, acting president of the Union and representative of the Cooperative Association of Mechanized Fishing Vessel Owners in Port Said, with Mr. Saleh Mohamed Ahmed as acting secretary, representing the Cooperative Association of Fishermen in Qabooti.

The first Board of Directors was elected by acclamation:

• Mr. Fouad Ahmed Hedia – Port Said Mechanized Fishing Vessel Owners Association
• Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Awad – Suez Mechanized Fishing Vessel Owners Association
• Mr. Abdel Hamid Mahgoub – Hurghada Fishermen Association
• Mr. Saleh Mohamed Ahmed – Qabooti Fishermen Association
• Mr. El-Sayed Ali Youssef – Borg El-Berles Fishermen Association
• Mr. Ahmed Abdel-Tawab – Aswan Fishermen Association
• Mr. Al-Husseini Mohamed Kamouna – Edko Fishermen Association

During this meeting, new members nominated by the Supreme Committee for Aquatic Wealth were accepted into the Union’s Board of Directors according to the internal regulations.

The first Board meeting took place on Monday, 19/6/1961, chaired by Field Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer, Minister of War, who explained the Ministry’s fisheries cooperation policy, which had guided all matters concerning aquatic wealth.

Reformation of the Board of Directors:

• Major General Mohamed Fouad El-Degwy – President (Director General of the Coast and Fisheries Authority and Customs Guard)
• Mr. Fouad Ahmed Hedia – Vice President (President of Mechanized Vessel Association in Port Said)
• Mr. Gouda Shaqran – Secretary General (Fisheries Cooperation Expert, Presidency)
• Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Awad – Treasurer (President of Mechanized Vessel Association in Suez)

At the end of the meeting, Field Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer presented Presidential Decree No. 444 of 1961 establishing the Support Fund for Fishermen’s Cooperatives, applying Article 24 of Law No. 317 of 1956 on cooperatives, recognizing the importance of the cooperative sector and supporting its workers. The Union was supervised by the General Directorate for Fisheries Cooperation under the Ministry of War

Organizational Structure of the Union

1. Union Members:
The Cooperative Union for Aquatic Wealth comprises 98 cooperatives, including 87 local cooperatives, 1 general cooperative, and 11 fish farming cooperatives. The total number of cooperative members is approximately 100,000.

With the recent expansion of fish farming projects, the number of fish farming cooperatives continues to grow. The Union encourages their establishment and currently they have three representatives on the Board of Directors.

Types of Fisheries Cooperatives under the Law:

a) Local Cooperatives:
Each local cooperative consists of at least twenty members and operates within one or more fishing areas of sufficient economic size, designated by the General Authority for Fish Resources Development (the governmental body responsible for fisheries). The cooperative’s bylaws specify its headquarters and operational area. The Authority may authorize multiple cooperatives of the same type in one fishing area.

Local cooperatives’ tasks include production, development, and marketing of aquatic resources and providing services to their members, particularly:

• Supplying members with local and imported fishing tools and equipment.
• Facilitating members’ ownership or access to transport for fish distribution.
• Marketing aquatic products and establishing necessary marketing facilities.
• Establishing and managing cooperative fish farms.
• Providing loans and borrowing from various funding sources to achieve their objectives.
• Offering social and cultural services to improve members’ standards of living.
• Implementing training programs organized by the General Authority for Fish Resources Development in coordination with the Union.

b) Joint Cooperatives:
Two or more local cooperatives can form a joint cooperative to provide economic, financial, or social services needed by the member cooperatives. Individuals cannot join as members. Tasks include maintenance of fishing vessels, marketing, processing, fish farming, and suggesting fishing schedules, methods, and professions for members.

c) General Cooperatives:
A general cooperative comprises local and joint cooperatives. Its purpose is to support member cooperatives in achieving their goals and providing economic, financial, or social services, particularly:

• Supplying members with machinery, equipment, spare parts, and production materials.
• Conducting cooperative marketing operations.
• Exporting products on behalf of members.
• Establishing funds to support economic and social activities and assisting member cooperatives in creating such funds.

2. Board of Directors:
The Union is managed by a Board of Directors of 19 members, elected by secret ballot during the General Assembly, with representation from each fishing area. The board term is five years.

3. Executive Committee:
The Board elects from among its members an Executive Committee comprising a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Union Responsibilities:

a) Tasks Assigned by the Armed Forces:

• During the 1967 war, the Union evacuated more than 15,000 officers and soldiers from Sinai using fishing vessels from Port Said, some of which were sunk or damaged by enemy air strikes, and fishermen refused compensation.
• During the War of Attrition, fishing vessels played a heroic role in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Gulf of Suez, coordinating with the Navy.
• During the 1973 war, fishing units carried out tasks assigned by the Armed Forces.
• In peacetime, fishing units perform tasks assigned by the Armed Forces.

b) Activities Defined by Law:

1. Participating in planning the cooperative movement for aquatic wealth in Egypt.
2. Promoting the cooperative movement in fisheries, including publishing newspapers and journals, and holding cooperative seminars.
3. Coordinating among cooperatives to achieve their goals.
4. Supervising cooperative training for fisheries cooperatives.
5. Coordinating between the fisheries cooperative sector and other cooperative sectors.
6. Holding a general fisheries cooperative conference at least once every four years and following up on decisions and recommendations.
7. Representing the fisheries cooperative movement abroad through membership in regional, Arab, and international cooperative organizations, attending conferences, exchanging cooperative experiences, and accepting external material assistance, in coordination with the Minister of Agriculture.
8. Proposing fisheries cooperative legislation.
9. Defending the interests of fisheries cooperatives.

4. Contribution of the Union in Establishing the General Authority for Fish Resources Development:

• Since its registration in 1960, the Union was supervised by the General Directorate for Fisheries Cooperation under the Ministry of War.
• Presidential Decree No. 1323 of 1961 established the Public Institution for Aquatic Wealth, tasked with supporting fisheries cooperatives financially, technically, and through training.
• Law No. 111 of 1975, issued on 4/9/1975, abolished the public institutions.

Prominent board members such as Mr. Mohamed Al-Feki, Mr. Ali Zariq, Mr. El-Sayed El-Gendy, and Mr. Nour El-Din Abdullah Munir worked to establish a governmental body to replace the abolished institution. They submitted memoranda to:

1. President Mohamed Anwar Sadat
2. Dr. Rifaat El-Mahgoub, Secretary-General of the Socialist Union
3. Mr. Mamdouh Salem, Prime Minister
4. Mr. Gamal El-Atifi, Member of Parliament

Their efforts led to:

• Presidential Decree No. 641 of 1976, assigning the Ministry of Agriculture to oversee the former institution’s responsibilities and establish an agency for this purpose.
• Ministerial Decree No. 305 of 1977 (10/1/1977) establishing the Ministry’s Agency for Aquatic Wealth Affairs.
• Issuance of Fisheries Cooperative Law No. 122 of 1980 (Agricultural Cooperatives).

The Union refused to join this law. On 25/2/1980, Mr. Mohamed Ali Al-Feki (President) and Mr. Ali Zariq (Vice President) met with Deputy Prime Minister Fikri Makram Ubaid, explaining the Union’s reasons for continuing to apply Law No. 317 of 1956 for fisheries cooperatives until a dedicated law could be issued.

The Union requested the establishment of an independent authority to manage the sector. Meetings with officials and President Sadat in 1979 and 1980 in Alexandria led to several key requests:

• Establishment of a General Authority for Fish Resources Development to oversee the fisheries sector.
• A dedicated law for fisheries cooperatives.
• A fisheries law.
• Presidential approval and directives to implement the Union’s requests.

On 8/3/1983, Mr. Mohamed Al-Feki and Mr. Ali Zariq submitted memoranda to the Minister of Agriculture to implement the President’s directives