Jun 7, 2011

 

Ecuador reassures shrimp farmers

 

 

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Stanley Vera, refuted that Ecuador's shrimp farms may experience evictions during the course of adjustment.

 

"First of all, I should make it clear that there will not be shrimp  farm reversions or evictions. The government does not intend to create controversy around the process of regularisation," the official said.

 

Vera and Deputy Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Leonardo Maridueña, met in Guayaquil with several shrimp industry representatives to exchange ideas and opinions about the legalisation programme of shrimp factories.

 

The meeting was attended by delegates of the Cooperative of Fish Production Hualtaco, the Shrimp Producers Association in Santa Rosa Jorge Kayser, Asoprocane and Acebae (Esmeraldas), Asocam, the Chamber of Shrimp Producers of El Oro, the Shrimp Producers Association of Cantones Sucre, Tosagua, Chone and San Vicente; the Producer Cooperative of Pedernales and the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA).

 

Vera said that the knowledge of the industry experience helped him understand the magnitude of the problems and the urgency the shrimp farmers have to obtain concrete results in the short term, the CNA reported.

 

The minister is to convene all the parties involved to unlock the process, including the National Aquatic Spaces Management (Dirnea).

 

Currently, Ecuador's shrimp production is performed by semi-extensive farming system. About 99% of the domestic supply comes from pools that are concentrated in coastal provinces.

 

Moreover, the Provincial Directorate of Ministry of the Environment of Guayas, together with the Undersecretariat of Marine and Coastal Management, reported that on May 25 made the eviction of the shrimp farm Voluntad de Dios, located in Mangrove Ecological Reserve Churrute.

 

The official explained that the measure is that this shrimp farm installed 20.22 hectares in the Reserve after the declaration of protected area.

 

Since April 2010, the shrimp farming sector has been undergoing a process of adjustment.

 

According to Dirnea, in Ecuador there are 234 farms that occupy 3,047 hectares not authorised for the development of shrimp production.