Page 26 - World Aquaculture Magazine - March 2011

24 March 2011
ana, Iphigenia brasiliana, Anomalocardia brasiliana, Tagelus
plebeius, and Donax striatus.
Ornamentals
The ornamental fish market in RN is very small. The few
commercial ornamental aquaculturists are located around
Natal and sell their production – mainly common freshwater
fishes like angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare), livebearers (Po-
ecilia spp. and Xiphophorus spp.), goldfish (Carassius aura-
tus), and nishikigoi (colored carps) – in the local area. The
expansion of their market should be facilitated by clarifica-
tion of the required documents to export, and by competi-
tive transport conditions and air connections, to send fish to
Southeastern Brazil.
Currently, RN has no state policy to encourage orna-
mental aquaculture. However, Universidade Federal Rural
do Semi-Árido (UFERSA) and Universidade Federal do
Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) are conducting studies to
encourage ornamental fish production – both fresh and salt-
water – in polyculture with shrimp and oysters.
Organic Aquaculture
RN is home of the first organic aquaculture farm inBrazil.
Primar Aquaculture is located on margins of the Guaraíras
lagoon (06o 12’S, 35o09’W), an 1,800-ha estuary in northeast-
ern Brazil where several shrimp farms encompass around
1,200 ha of production area. The 42 ha farm was converted
to organic aquaculture production in December 2003 after a
decade (1993-2002) of conventional (semi-intensive) shrimp
farming. In addition to shrimp, the farm currently produces
mangrove oysters (Crassostrea brasiliana), while the culture
of mullet (Mugil spp.), blue crabs (Callinectes sp.), seahorses
(Hippocampus reidi) and seaweeds (Gracilaria) is under eval-
uation (Carlos et al. 2009).
Research and Education in Aquaculture in RN
Governmental organizations involved in aquaculture
in RN include the Centro de Teconologia de Aquicultura
(CTA), the Secretaria Estadual de Aquicultura e Pesca
(SAPE) and the state branch of the Ministry of Fisheries
and Aquaculture (MPA); each of which has a number of
active aquaculture programs. The CTA was established with
support from several local, regional and national agencies.
CTA is basically involved with R & D projects with marine
shrimp. SAPE is mainly involved in production and stock-
ing of fingerlings in freshwater reservoirs. The local branch
of MPA supervises and coordinates several important aqua-
culture initiatives in RN. Regarding aquaculture education,
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)
and Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA)
promote undergraduate and graduate courses in aquacul-
ture (Aquaculture Engineering, Fisheries Engineering) and
related topics (Biology, Ecology, Animal Production) and
are reportedly conducting aquaculture research activities on
their campuses. In addition, UFRN, through its Agriculture
School (Escola Agrícola de Jundiaí) has recently initiated
a technical course, equivalent to secondary education, in
aquaculture.
Anomalocardia sp. (Photo by Karina Ribeiro)
Hippocampus reidi. (photo by Marco Túlio de Lima e Carlos)
Net-pens to grow seahorses (Hippocampus reidi). (Photo by
Marco Túlio de Lima e Carlos)