BRAZIL
Wednesday, April 01, 2009, 02:20 (GMT + 9)

The National Congress is expected approve the establishment of the Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries within the next 60 to 90 days, affirmed the head of the Special Secretariat of Aquaculture and Fisheries (SEAP), Altemir Gregolin.

"We secured an agreement with all the parties in the Chamber and the project had unanimous approval within the special commission," he explained.

The SEAP was created with a budget of BRL 11 million (USD 4.7 million) in 2003 during the first mandate of the country’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

At present, the Secretariat manages a budget of BRL 464 million (USD 200.4 million) due to a government goal to boost fisheries sector development.

Brazil boasts a coastline of more than 7,367 kilometres, native species and a great internal market, yet just accounts for a negligible 0.03 per cent share of the USD 92.3 billion global fish market in 2007, said Gregolin, Agencia Estado reports.

Similarly, the government is set on attracting national and foreign investment; and maximising the use of hydroelectric station reservoirs in Itaipu, Castanhão, Minas Gerais and Para for seafood production.

"There are investors from Spain, Chile and England who want to invest here and increase production," said the SEAP director, who highlighted that global fish consumption is projected to equal around 340 million tonnes by 2030.

"The market is not a problem. The question is how to produce efficiently," he said