Perfil da piscicultura na mesorregião sudoeste Paraense

Abstract

This research aimed at characterizing the recent development of fish farming in southwestern Pará state in the Brazilian Amazon and how this economic activity is organized. Site visits were made to fish farms in the municipalities of Altamira, Brasil Novo, Medicilândia, Uruará, Vitória do Xingu, Itaituba, Aveiro, Jacareacanga, Novo Progresso, Rurópolis e Trairão. Data were obtained through the application of questionnaires with questions pertaining to characteristics of the production system and marketing. The sample included 143 fish farms, of which 65.9% practiced a semi-intensive system and 31.7% an extensive system. The employed labor force is drawn mostly from the immediate family. Fish farming is a complementary activity in 81% of the farms visited. The management of fish farms consists of several basic operations, such as rearing in ponds with locally produced feed (82%) and commercial fish ration (47.7%). The most commonly cultivated species are round fish (13%) as the preferred first cultivated species and tilapia (18%) as second choice. The average yearly yield was 8209 kg/ha for round fish and 3727 kg / ha for tilapia. The average yield of all species reached 14,339 tons/ha. The principle difficulties encountered by regional fish farmers are: lack of technical assistance, obtaining fingerlings, high feed prices, and lack of production incentives.