Brazil looks to bolster seafood production

Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva this week reiterated the South American country's plans to become a bigger player in the global seafood industry.

In his weekly radio program "Breakfast with the President," Lula said Brazil would soon be a self-sufficient seafood producer. He illustrated his point by mentioning his visit to Brazil's first open-ocean fish farm last week, which lies 11 kilometers off the coast of Recife in northeastern Brazil, where he urged the construction of more fish farms.

The farm is expected to produce 10,000 metric tons of fish per year, almost 10 times more than the country's total annual farmed fish output.

"In some years, we will become great fish producers," Lula said. Brazilians now eat an annual average of 7 kilograms of fish per capita. 

Lula's remarks underscore the government's commitment to develop the seafood industry both as an exporter and a source of domestic consumption.

In early February, Altemir Gregolin, head of agriculture and fisheries, told the media the government has set aside BRL 1.75 million (USD 750,000, EUR 590,000) through 2011 to bolster the country's fishing industry. Exports of shrimp, lobster and finfish may rise this year to about USD 500 million (EUR 393 million) from last year's USD 240 million (EUR 189 million), helped by a weaker exchange rate for Brazil's real and by increased demand from countries such as China and Japan, he added.  

Brazil now produces about 1.05 million metric tons of seafood per year, according to the government. Gregolin said annual seafood output could "easily" jump to 20 million metric tons, though he did not say by when.

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