October 23, 2013

In order to boost the aquaculture industry in the North Eastern Brazilian state of Maranhão, the State Government and the Ministry of Fisheries held a meeting to work closely together.

During the meeting it was agreed that the municipalities of Maranhão Primeira Cruz, and Humberto de Campos Icatu will become the first to deploy aquaculture sites for the production of mangrove oysters.

"This partnership will further enhance the development of the sector in Maranhão. The state has great potential and the government has worked to educate fishermen and producers on its Viva Aquaculture programme," said the governor, Roseanna Sarney, referring to the initiative whose goal is to distribute 60 tonnes of feed for fattening fish by years end. Its programme will benefit 40 municipalities that traditionally work with fishing.

"Maranhão will receive great support to increase their fish production," said Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Marcelo Crivella. He highlighted the potential for fishing in Maranhão and explained other benefits. He said the plan will begin in Maranhão in January next year.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed at the meeting for the establishment of an industrial complex in southern Maranhão comprising of a fish feed production line, which have a production capacity of 10 tonnes/hectare of mash feed and four tonnes/hectare of extruded pellet feed.

He said the inauguration of this new fish feed plant will reduce costs and hence increase the production and income of fishermen.

A representative of the Federation of Fishermen's State of Maranhão, Linhares Bernardo Amorim, said that the support of the ministry and the state government will help to boost aquaculture production in the state. "This is the opportunity we hoped to increase our production. The feed mill will help us to not only meet domestic demand, but also supply to the foreign market," he said.

The president of Famem, Gil Cutrim said that joint efforts between federal, state and municipal reflect a new outlook on life for the fishermen.

Second Secretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Dayvson Franklin, said that Maranhão state naturally has the suitable environment and potential for fish production by rivers and seas. "The federal government have come to join efforts with the state government so that we can give to the Maranhão the conditions to work and develop," he said. He said that the state has a vocation and is able to become one of the largest producers of aquaculture from supporting, farming and fishing.

Maranhão has the second largest number of registered fishermen in Brazil, with 174,000 fishermen and about 400,000 people who live from fishing and fish farming in the state.