For the first time, Ecuador will create concessions for fish and crustacean farming in their open ocean. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Magap for short) says that Ecuador boasts excellent conditions for the creating of a marine aquaculture industry (the fairly new practice is termed “mariculture”). They hope private companies will step in and develop the industry over the next decade.

Ecuador already has a set of policies for mariculture, developed in 2010. The species which could be raised commercially in cages in Ecuador’s ocean include snapper, mullet, Pacific yellowtail, cobia, white shrimp, among others. The National Fishing Institute will create a list of acceptable species.

Last Monday, Magap granted the first mariculture concession to Oceanfarms S.A., a company based in Manta, Manabi.

Their ten-year concession will consist of the use of 86,70 hectares of ocean. The company will have to show their project is at least 20 percent executed within a year. The containment pens will be located more than 9 miles off the coast of Jaramijó.

Future concessions will be granted in all areas of the ocean, with sandy or rocky bottoms, so long as the farming of aquatic species does not affect commercial fishing, tourist, marine traffic and other users of this natural resource.

Apart from Oceanfarms S.A., three other companies have initiated the process to acquire ocean concessions.

Ecuador’s vice-minister of aquaculture, Guillermo Morán, says that mariculture of salmon has been successful in countries such as Chile, Perú, Spain, Mexico, Norway, the U.S., Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and others.

Original story