The National Fisheries Institute (INP) has signed a cooperation agreement with the parish office and fishing cooperatives from Engabao and its port in order to start farming shrimp in cages.
The Institute, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries (MAGAP), pledged to continue the technical follow-up and monitoring of shrimp larvae, and to check the status of marine cages.
The fishermen in the area are going to take care to guard the cages, feed the organisms and clean the mesh. Besides, they are going to provide support to transport public officials or authorities visiting the platform in small boats.
During the signing ceremony of the agreement, INP general director, Edwin Moncayo, stressed that the Institute is working for the mariculture project to be the first in the world to operate in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Guillermo Moran emphasized that mariculture is part of the transformation of the productive matrix of Ecuador.
The MAGAP explained that the choice of Engabao community is due to its oceanographic and environmental conditions, and the cooperation and interest shown by its citizens.
After signing the document, the authorities, INP technicians and fishermen who attended the event visited the platform that houses the 100,000 shrimp larvae that had been stocked on 12 February at a location that is 1.8 km off the coast of Puerto Engabao.
This culture is undergoing the experimental phase at this time.
With the results obtained the procedure manuals that are useful to the artisanal sector as guidelines for shrimp farming will be developed.
It is expected that in four months the resource reaches commercial size.
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