Yaqob Workneh, 42, a legal expert, has been a connoisseur of fish for the past 15 years, especially during fasting seasons like  Abiy Tsome, the Ethiopian Orthodox Lent.

He visits Seble Fish Restaurant in Arat Kilo once every month on normal occasions, but when it is fasting season, he is there at least three times a week.

"It is the food I turn to when it is the fasting season,” he said. “I’ve read about the nutritional value, which makes it very important for me.”

The financial importance of this season is not lost on the restaurants either. Seble, which gets its supply of fish from Bahir Dar and Arba Minch, sells around 150 fish meals a day during the year. But during the fasting season, that number spikes to 250 a day, including fried fish, fish stew and fish goulash.

The nation's fish market has changed over the years thanks to declines in both demand and supply. The problem is just as evident during the fasting season as it is in the regular season.

Fiker Alebachew, 28, who owns Gion Fish Retailer in Atikilt Tera, famous for its abundance of fishmongers, has felt the decline in the value of the market.

She stocks tilapia and catfish, aka Ambazaand Qoroso, respectively, from Bahir Dar and fish fillet, or Filito, from Tekeze and Ziway. The average price of fish has spiked to 115 Br a kilogram from 70 Br during 2018's fasting season.

“I used to stock at least 100Kg of fish each day, but now I only manage to do half as much in two days,” she said. “I am no longer able to get NechAsa, [Nile perch] which I used to as recently as two years ago.”

Yohannes Geremew, 32, owner of Jhonny Fish Retail Shop, agrees. Running a family business that was first started by his grandfather, he says he is at his wit's end.

"I have been in the business for 12 years," Yohannes told Fortune. "I have never experienced a decline in the market on this level."

Fish production in Ethiopia grew annually at an average of 27.7pc for three years beginning in 2013.

Starting three years ago, that number shrank to less than one percent growth. It grew by 11.3pc last year but remains far below its levels of 2013. Fish production contributes 0.05pc to the overall economy or gross domestic product.

Despite a potential of producing 94,500tn of fish a year and the Blue Nile Basin supporting 77 fish species, the nation last year produced around 59.4pc of its potential.

In Kenya, fish production from freshwater sources stood at almost double the amount in Ethiopia in 2017, which saw a 9.5pc decline from the previous year.

The total water area of the lakes and reservoirs of Ethiopia stands at 7,400 square kilometres, while rivers stretch an aggregate of 7,000Km in the country. It is estimated that Ethiopia has between 180 and 200 fish species, over a third of which are considered endemic.

More than 70pc of the fish produced in Ethiopia are harvested from Abaya, Chamo, Tana, Ziway and Awassa lakes. The rest are from dams such as Finchaa, Qoqa and Tekeze. While most of the fish comes from Oromia, Amhara, SNNP and Gambella regional states, tilapia, Nile perch and catfish are the most consumed species both in private and commercial settings.