Damascus-SANA
The annual production of marine fish in the Syrian territorial waters ranges between 2,500 and 3,000 tons, as a result of many factors that control the quantities caught, according to the director of the General Authority for Fish and Aquatic Resources, Dr. Abdul Latif Ali.
Ali explained in a statement to SANA that among these factors are the narrowness of the continental shelf, the lack of rivers that flow into the sea, and the marine currents that carry marine nutrients with them, in addition to the lack of bays and capes on the coast, which are considered a safe haven for fish breeding, in addition to the high production costs as a result of the high cost of equipment. the hunt.
Ali pointed out that the production of freshwater fish constitutes 81 percent of the total fish production in Syria, noting that the authority is working to encourage fish farming in the sea and fresh water, to compensate for the shortage in marine fish.
Ali indicated that the authority granted 6 initial licenses to establish marine farms, three of which are beach, and three are floating in cages, one of which is now in the production phase, and the remaining five farms are under preparation, as the authority provides all facilities to import the requirements for establishing these farms, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade. .
Ali pointed out that the authority is working on establishing a marine hatchery project for the production of fingerlings, with the aim of encouraging investors to establish fish farms, explaining that the project is on the list of priorities for projects to be established, and coordination is underway with the FAO and the General Authority for Mediterranean Fisheries to provide technical and technical assistance to the authority for its establishment.
Ali added: One of the authority’s tasks is to develop and protect fish wealth, and develop its resources with the aim of increasing production. To this end, it has developed a plan to develop the sector, as Syria’s fish production increased in 2021 to 10,414 tons, after it decreased during the crisis to 2,900 tons in 2015.
Ghusoub Abboud
Follow SANA's news on Telegram https://t.me/SyrianArabNewsAgency