28 March 2009 restoring resources along the Black Sea coastline. Longline arrays (Figures 3 and 4) were installed early in 2006 and spat collectors of frayed rope were deployed in March of that year to collect the spring spatfall (Figure 5). In August 2006, mussels collected on the spatlines were manually stripped from the lines and placed into 10m-long cotton fiber mussel socks, at about 500 mussels/m of sock, using a locally fabricated stainless steel socking funnel. The mussels reached harvestable size by May 2007 (Figure 6). This first production cycle of mussels in Georgian waters was encouraging and is compelling producers to focus their efforts on developing markets for mussels in Georgia and explore export markets. The first efforts in marketing have been to focus on direct marketing to restaurants and hotels in the port city of Batumi, which is also a popular seaside tourist destination within Georgia. Additionally, restaurants and supermarket outlets in the capital city of Tbilisi are providing some marketing opportunities. Prior to the mid-2007 restriction of trade between Georgia and Russia, there was considerable trans-Caucasus trade of agricultural products, particularly Georgian orchard crops and wines. The tension in trade between Georgia and Russia has been exacerbated by the 2008 military conflict. Export marketing will likely be a considerable challenge, which means building domestic markets is critical if mussel farming is to remain economically viable in the short term for Georgian growers. One of the most critical ingredients for the attainment of goals in the 2005 Georgian master plan for aquaculture development is the development of educational and research infrastructure in both the academic and governmental sectors. The ability of the IPA mussel farm in Gonio to produce some 20 t of mussels in its first growing season has been, in part, through a business and academic research and outreach partnership. Dr. Prof. Rezo Diasamidze (Figure 5) of Shota Rustaveli State University is an expert in marine sciences who has taken an interest in mussel farming. He has assisted IPA in the initial stages of siting the mussel farm and adopting internationally accepted practices of spat collection and mussel growout methods to local conditions. However, much more can be done to formalize and expan academic research, educational and extension services that Georgian universities can offer to the fledgling aquaculture industry. Georgia has considerable human capital in the area of science and technology that might be utilized to help build academic-industry connections. The Institute of Zoology at the Georgian Academy of Sciences in Tbilisi has investigated the ichthyological resources of Georgia and has been the primary institution for the study of fish diseases in the country (Kurashvili 1988). Additionally, the seaside campus of Shota Rustaveli State University (http:// bsu.edu.ge/en/) in Batumi, with its active Biology Department and Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Black Sea Scientific-Research Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity may be a logical choice for developing an academic program in fisheries and aquaculture. This university has great potential for fostering excellent academic-industry partnerships Fig. 4. Longline array for mussels at Gonio, Ajaria, Georgia. The snowcapped peaks of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range are visible in the distance. Photo by Enrico Beridze. Fig. 5. Dr. Prof. Rezo Diasamidze of Shota Rustaveli State University in Batumi, Ajaria, Georgia examining the spatfall of mussels at the IPA mussel farm at Gonio. Photo by Enrico Beridze. Fig. 6. First harvest of commercially cultured mussels in Georgia in May 2007. Photo by Enrico Beridze.
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