SAGARPA Investing Into Aquaculture Infrastructure

This year, the National Fisheries Institute (INAPESCA) will invest MX $50 million to reinforce infrastructure in aquaculture centres, to promote genetic improvement of species, to increase feed availability and to create five Genetic Nucleus and a Cryopreservation Room.

This follows recommendations made by FAO in order to strengthen the Product System to achieve competitiveness, detailed SAGARPA.

When the Investment Support Programme for Equipments and Infrastructure, Component: Genetics Resources for Aquatic System is set about, the Genetics Nucleus will supply a germ plasm bank, Marco Linn Unzueta, General Manager of Aquaculture Research, explained.

He highlighted that the resources allocated for this programme will establish new production centres and they will reinforce infrastructure and capacity of fish farms.

The creation of assessment and management of organism centres is planned as well as the reinforcement of lab equipment and facilities which are aimed to produce high market-valuable species like trout, seabream fish, pink and green abalones, tilapia, Pacific scallop, scallop and white fish, among others.

Mr Linn Unzueta pointed out that the Investment Support Programme for Equipments and Infrastructure tries to promote breeding in species which has biological and economic importance to produce food as well as improving profitability and competitiveness on fish industry.

Public universities, research centres and institutes as well as produces have been called to take part in the programme and develop it by presenting projects proposals about Mexican aquaculture assessment, validation, management and breeding. COFUPRO (Coordinating Committee of Produce Foundations) has also joined the programme.

This kind of programme helps to reinforce actions aimed to deal with specific projects which contribute to species improvement, Mr Linn Unzueta added.

Lineaments to operate the programme can be consulted on www.inapesca.gob.mx, where information about requirements of the projects and localisation of offices to hand them in is also available.

CONAPESCA (National Commission of Aquaculture and Fishing) figures emphasise that Mexico ranks in 16th position in international fish production and in 26th in aquaculture production.