December 28, 2023

Mensburgh Aquaculture plans US$430,000 expansion of aquaculture facility in Guyana

Mensburgh Aquaculture has unveiled plans for a GYD 90.5 million (US$430,000) expansion of its multispecies aquaculture facility in Borlam, Corentyne, Guyana, SeafoodSource reported.

The proposed 1,000-acre development includes clearing and rehabilitating brackish-water fish and shrimp ponds, along with the establishment of a seafood processing facility.

The company, owned by Erwin Abdulla, aims to enhance production and gain access to a nearby airport for efficient export operations targeting the domestic, Caribbean, and United States markets, focusing on delivering fresh-on-ice seafood.

The proposed ponds will be supplied with seedlings and nutrients from ocean-fed canals, and the company plans to utilise processing by-products as fertiliser and feed composition.

Water discharge will undergo filtration in mangrove areas before release into the ocean, with 140 acres designated for ecological preservation.

Mensburgh Aquaculture plans to cultivate various species, including southern brown shrimp, white shrimp, tarpon, tilapia, and others, contributing to a unique ecology essential for farm productivity.

With government backing and financial support for the fisheries and aquaculture subsector, including rehabilitation of shrimp farms and the development of marine cage fish farming, Guyana aims to boost local production.

The government has suspended the value-added tax for seafood industry inputs, emphasising its commitment to increasing production and export capacities. In 2022, the country produced 448,250 kg of shrimp, with a goal of reaching 1.5 million kg annually by 2025.

-      SeafoodSource