The National University of Litoral (NUL) and a fishermen’s cooperative of Helvetia, Santa Fe, Argentina, are building a fish production farm to create jobs and protect natural resources.
The project involves the local community of Santa Fe, a local company and the National Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, which funds the project through Productive Innovation Federal Programmes (PIFP).
According to academic spokesmen, the idea is to “develop a socio-productive aquaculture based activity, in which a group of fishermen will conduct a fish farming venture in captivity for later sale.”
In recent years, Santa Fe coastal area is showing a loss of jobs as a result of overexploitation of rivers in the area.
Initiative proponents want the fish farm to be specifically dedicated to the research, development and breeding of fish, with ponds for semi-intensive cultivation of local species that are traded in the Argentine market.
The project is promoted by professors of Liberal Art and Science Studies, Engineering and Water Sciences, and Architecture, Design and Urbanism, which together with communal government, a cooperative of fishermen and a local company began operations in early 2008.
During the first stage of the venture, a group was formed with fishermen supporters, a fishing guide and small producers who integrate a cooperative and will transmit the learning to other groups.
The first species to be produced at the farm will be the South American catfish (Rhamdia quelen), which has a high nutritional value and is easy to breed.
The advice for raising this resource was provided by the National Aquaculture Development Centre (CENADAC), which is under the National Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, located in the province of Corrientes.
It is expected that the farm produce will be sold filleted or prepared in various products, incorporating value added.
At the beginning, the marketing is expected to be made by the company Pesquera Santa Fe S.R.L.
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