Fish farming in south of Mauritius

In the context of the Fishermen Investment Trust, the Ministry of Fisheries and Rodrigues and the Mahebourg Marine Farm, a company that specialises in aquaculture, plan to implement a red drum breeding project in the region of Bambous Virieux.

This was stated by minister of Fisheries and Rodrigues Nicolas Von-Mally. This project will fulfill several economic objectives including providing sustainable employment to fishermen of the locality as 30 fishermen will be trained by the Human Resource Development Council and preference will be given to those of the region.

A stipend will be given to fishermen who follow this training, said the minister. The cost of the project is Rs 18.5 million and the memorandum of understanding is being finalised.

The risks and cost implications of the project are still under consideration. The Mahebourg Marine Farm will provide expertise, know-how and fish food to complete the project.

Aquaculture is becoming popular as fish are becoming increasingly rare in the sea. Hence, fish are directly raised in sea cages, which are imported.

The Mahebourg Marine Farm has been operating in Mauritius since 2005 and employs 120 people. This partnership with the government is an example of cooperation between the private and public sectors.

Fish farming in the sea is also an interesting project in terms of food self-sufficiency. The aquatic farm, located in Pointe aux Feuilles, produces about 500 tonnes of fish annually, and has a turnover of Rs 50 million.