World Aquaculture September 2018

38 SEP TEMBER 2018 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S.ORG Similarly, there are some experiences in the development of aquaponic crops based on the production of tilapia that can improve the profitability of crops, such as those carried out at the Aquaculture Research Center of the Universidad Científica del Sur (Baltazar et al. 2015). In the department of San Martín, most producers are small scale and their level of technification in tilapia culture is low and in many cases at the subsistence level. However, in the departments of Piura and Lima, tilapia culture has been developed with a higher level of technology and good seed quality. This technology for seed production and fattening has not been extended yet. Government agencies intend to extend technological development to small and medium producers, understanding the development potential of aquaculture in general. However, Peruvian legislation has regulated the expansion of tilapia culture, limiting development to the Peruvian coast and in those departments that have a management plan for tilapia culture approved by the Ministry of Production and regional (departmental) governments. In this context, currently tilapia culture in the Amazonian area is only authorized in the department of San Martín. Marketing Around 90 percent of all registered tilapia production is destined for the domestic market and 10 percent goes to the export market, mainly as fresh fillets destined for the USA, with a smaller volume to markets in Ecuador, France, Taiwan and Chile. In 2015, these exports had a value of US$ 2.6 million. Imports of tilapia to Peru have doubled between 2012 to 2016 from 1,218 t to 2,072 t, mainly as frozen fillets fromChina and whole fresh slices from Ecuador (Table 4). The evolution of the domestic market of tilapia produced in the country has increased from only 46 t in 2000 to 2,927 t in 2015, which is 33 percent less than the peak in 2014. Tilapia represents 5 percent of the total domestic sales of aquaculture products, with an estimated first sale value of US$ 6.2 million for the domestic market (Fig. 4). Many departments in the country have the conditions to develop tilapia cultivation, which by the ease of cultivation and easy access to local markets, could contribute to the local and regional development of each area, in addition to contributing to food security and reducing poverty. Although tilapia is currently only authorized for cultivation on the coast and in the San Martín region, there are already initiatives to be able to manage the authorization of its cultivation in other regions of the Peruvian Amazon, mainly due to requests by fish producers who are aware of its great potential there. Tilapia Production in the Peruvian Amazon Tilapia culture in the Amazonian zone of Peru is authorized in the department of San Martín through a management plan for the cultivation of tilapia. The area is popularly known as Selva Alta, Ceja de Selva, Montaña or Monte, and is characterized by dense, rainy and cloudy mountain forests to the east of the Peruvian Andes. It starts between 500 and 600 m above sea level, where the Amazonian plain ends and the mountains begin to rise. The high forest can reach an altitude of more than 3,000 m above sea level in the most humid areas or a much lower altitude where it borders dry inter-Andean valleys. Tilapia culture in the different zones of the Peruvian Amazon is a mixture between subsistence and semi-intensive approaches and is carried out at stocking densities of 3-10/m 2 . Producers using both approaches consume tilapia directly or market their crops in local retail markets and restaurants. Those using semi-intensive methods market crops in most cases to restaurants, or in some cases send their products to other locations live or eviscerated and refrigerated. These farm fish use ponds between 3-10 ha. There are five Amazon departments (Amazonas, Loreto, San Martín, Ucayali and Madre de Dios) and five departments with part of their territory in high forest or forest (Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Huánuco, Junín and Cusco) where only tilapia is grown or in polyculture with gamitana (Colossoma macropomum), paiche (Arapaima gigas) and pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) (Fig. 5). However, officially only the department of San Martín is authorized. The Peruvian Amazon has many areas suitable for the development of aquaculture. The Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP 2016) points out that the highway axis of Iquitos - Nauta in Loreto has an estimated 269,787 ha with suitability for fish aquaculture. Similarly, in the department of Madre de Dios, an FIGURE 4. Marketing of tilapia in the domestic and export markets (Source: RNIA 2016). FIGURE 5. Departments in the Peruvian Amazon where tilapia are grown.