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Fish: Brazil Goes for the Big Catch
Written by Brazzil Magazine
Thursday, 26 August 2004
With expectations that world demand for fish will rise by 60 million tons in the future, Brazil's Special Secretariat for Fishing and Aquaculture has a budget of US$7.45 million (22 million reais) for the construction of five fishing terminals in strategic locations this year.
The idea is to improve transportation, storage and
commercialization, and increase production, supply and domestic demand. The
sector awaits another US$ 87 million from the World Bank.
The lack of
specific terminals for fish is seen as one of the bottlenecks in a vicious cycle
where there is less domestic Brazilian demand because of less supply, and vice
versa.
Brazilian per capita consumption of fish is a low 6 kilos per
year, compared to a world average of 14 kilos. And that is in a place with 8,500
kilometers of coastline, 12 percent of the world's freshwater and a total
of 5 million hectares submerged in reservoirs behind hydroelectric power plants.
According to Olavo Brandão, who works for the Secretariat in Rio, low
domestic consumption is one of the main reasons Brazil produces only 1.5
percent of the world's GDP.
In September the government will begin
a campaign to stimulate domestic consumption of fish. Another program will begin
aquaculture projects in land reform settlements.
One of the fish
terminals will be located in Rio de Janeiro. It will occupy 51,000 square meters
and have its own ice factory.
Agência Brasil Reporter: Daisy
Nascimento Translator: Allen Bennett
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