Colombian university participates in aquaculture project

A delegation of Colombian professionals will visit Coquimbo region in Chile in the framework of a joint project of the University of Magdalena (Colombia) and Universidad Católica del Norte (Chile), aimed at developing pectinidae farming, mainly oysters and abalone, in Colombia.

The collaboration agreement between both higher education institutions has the support of the International Cooperation Agency of Chile (AGCI) and of Japan (JICA), as well as from Social Action Cooperation Agencies and JICA from Colombia.

During the last week of March, the Colombian mission will visit some oyster farms in the regions of Coquimbo and Tongoy. 

They will also meet with associations of fishermen from the area.

The main objective of the delegation is to learn about and exchange aquaculture production development experiences with entities, bodies and associations of the aquaculture sector.

Secondly, the idea is to develop a Working Group to generate concrete actions to be developed in Santa Marta, as a result of the internship in Chile.

The project will attempt to establish a trial production model of juvenile specimens of pectinidae and microalgae in the laboratory. 

To this end, professionals will be trained at the University of Magdalena in the operation and production of pectinidae seeds.

For the Colombian delegation, the importance of the project lies in accumulating experiences in their quest to make farming into a profitable business.

The knowledge gained will be transferred to other actors involved in aquaculture development in Magdalena, such as groups of artisanal fishermen, public and private institutions related to fisheries and aquaculture sectors and investors, among others.

In a statement, the professionals from the University of Magdalena stated that the intention is to ensure that aquaculture becomes a real option for sustainable development in coastal communities in Colombia.

In addition, they seek to promote a change in the fishing culture and move towards sustainable processes such as mariculture, contributing to the recovery of fish stocks.

On the side of the Universidad Catolica del Norte, the project is led by Professor Juan Enrique Illanes, Academician at the Department of Aquaculture from the Faculty of Marine Sciences.

Meanwhile, the Colombian delegation is composed of the rector from the University of Magdalena, Ruthber Escorcia; the project director, Luz Adriana Velasco; the advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Luis Alvarez; and Miguel Pardo, Knowledge Network consultant from the National Apprenticeship Service.