AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT

A NATL FISH FARMING CENTER WILL BE ESTABLISHED AT ABBASA,SHARKIA. THE NEW CENTER WILL INCLUDE A 1200 FEDDAN PRODUCTION AREA,WHICH WILL BE DIVIDED INTO 80, 15-FEDDAN HOMESTEADS FOR LOCAL FARMERS & RECENT AGRI GRADUATES. THE PRODUCTION AREA WILL SERVE AS A MODEL FOR FISH FARM EXPANSION & WILL SUPPLY 800 TONS OF MARKETABLE FISH PER YR. APPLIED & ADAPTIVE RESEARCH WILL BE CONDUCTED AT THE CENTER. SPECIFICALLY,THE RESEARCH WILL CONCERN HATCHERIES,PONDS,BREEDING,HANDLING & UTILIZATION,FISH PATHOLOGY,AND SMALL FARMER TECHNOLOGIES. THE CENTER WILL EMPLOY SIX EXTENSION AGENTS & SIX EXTENSION INTERNS WHO WILL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN FARM MANAGEMENT,POND CONTRUCTION,AND ENGINEERING & PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY. THE CENTER"S PRODUCTION HATCHERY WILL PRODUCE 6-10 MILLION CARP FRY & 3-4 MILLION TWO-GRAM MULLET FRY YRLY. PRODUCTION EFFORTS OUTSIDE THE CENTER WILL INCLUDE ESTABLISHMENT OF 3800 FEDDANS OF PONDS ON VILLAGE CO-OP FARMS,MEDIUM-SCALE PRIVATE FARMS,AND ADDITIONAL HOMESTEADS. MIXED POULTRY-FISH CULTURE OPERATIONS WILL BE INTRODUCED ON SOME EXISTING PONDS. IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE MADE AT A CARP HATCHERY AT SEROW AND TO A MULLET COLLECTION CENTER AT AL-MEX. IN ADDITION,TWO NEW COLLECTION CENTERS WILL BE BUILT AT AL-GAMEEL & AL-GERBY,AND A FISH MARKET WILL BE BUILT AT ZAGAZID. LONG-TERM DEGREE & NON-DEGREE TRNG IN POND ENGINEERING,FISH FARM MGMT,AQUA-CULTURE,AND FISHERIES BIOLOGY WILL BE PROVIDED FOR 45 PERSONS. THIRTY PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE A TOTAL OF 140 MAN-MOS OF SHORT-TERM TRNG. GRADUATE TRNG WILL BE AVAILABLE TO AN ADDITIONAL 45 CANDIDATES. A TECH ASSIST TEAM CONSISTING OF SIX LONG-TERM FISHERIES SPECIALISTS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE CENTER. ALSO,SIX ADVISORS & SUPPORT PERSONNEL WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE NATL COMMITTEE FOR AQUA-CULTURE DEVELOPMENT,THE ORGANIZATION THROUGH WHICH THE ZAGAZID MARKET SUBPROJ & OTHERS WILL BE FUNDED. THE COMMITTEE WILL OVERSEE THE DESIGN & INITIAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE NATL FISHERIES CENTER,AND WILL RECEIVE AN INTERIM FISH FARM SPECIALIST TO ASSIST IN THAT ENDEAVOR.