Fish farming in the Las Mercedes dam, in the municipality of Colombia

The accelerated exploitation of aquaculture is in the sights of the Las Tunas fishermen, who forecast the production of 18 million fingerlings this year.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- The rescue of 12 hectares for the sowing of cyprinids and tilapia in different water bodies is the main basis for the Fishing Company (PESCATÚN) to comply with the plans for this calendar, which have the goal to increase the offers to the population, and continue to export products.

If this endeavor is crowned, the entity would further consolidate its work of the last two years when it was selected as the most integral of the Ministry of the Food Industry in the country.

Mario Sedeño Viamontes, director of PESCATÚN, explained to the Cuban News Agency that, besides sowing fingerlings in their reservoirs, his entity provides specimens to various organizations that manage micro dams, such as Agriculture and AZCUBA (Sugar Group), as well as production bases with conditions for it.

The manager stressed that current projections have as a precedent having rescued the Manatí aquaculture fish farming station, in the Gramal dam, which was greatly affected by meteorological events. The work began in 2018, which included the return of technicians and specialists who were already occupied in other functions until it was ready.

The 2021 program includes fish farming in the Las Mercedes dam, in the municipality of Colombia, which has a capacity of 20 million cubic meters of water, where five hectares were recovered for aquaculture.

To enhance the ambitious work of the Company, the fishermen were given four cages to raise red tilapia, and fishing gear to be used during the red porgy, smalltooth sawfish, and blue runner capture; as we as that of the Atlantic thread herring, and freshwater fish.

Tambaqui breeding is encouraged, an ideal species for family aquaculture, which does not require imported or special foods to develop; simply fruits, seeds, agricultural waste, and household waste.

In the first quarter of the current year, PESCATÚN contributed 101 tons of fish from the platform and aquaculture above the plan in that period and produced between 10 and 15 tons of sausages each month.