Economic analysis of the inland fisheries project in El Salvador

IT IS KNOWN THAT FISH IS A PRACTICAL SOURCE OF PROTEIN, WITH ABOUT 80% PROTEIN ON A MOISTURE FREE BASIS, VERSUS 40-50% FOR RED MEATS AND 77% FOR RICE. FISH ARE MORE EFFICIENT CONVERTERS OF FEED THAN ANIMALS OR POULTRY. TOO, WHEREAS FEEDS USED FOR MEAT PRODUCTION ALSO CAN BE USED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, FISH CAN FEED ON ITEMS OTHERWISE NOT USED OR WASTED. WITH AN INCREASED SUPPLY OF FISH ON A YEAR-AROUND BASIS, A FISH-PROCESSING INDUSTRY COULD DEVELOP. IT WAS FOUND THAT FARM FISH CULTURE IN EL SALVADOR IS IN A PRE-EMERGENCE STAGE, WITH CONSUMPTION STILL VERY LOW. RESEARCH ON VARIOUS PRODUCTION POSSIBILITIES FOR DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTRY HAS ONLY BEGUN. BUT IN A COUNTRY WITH A HIGH POPULATION DENSITY AND LIMITED LAND RESOURCES, INTENSIVE FISH CULTURE REPRESENTS ONE MEANS OF SUPPLYING MAXIMUM RETURN. FULL-TIME LABOR FOR THE PRODUCER AND HIS FAMILY COUPLED WITH A HIGHER PROTEIN DIET MAY INCREASE THE EDUCATIONAL LEVEL OF THIS POPULATION SEGMENT. BUT FOR ANY OF THESE BENEFITS TO OCCUR, THE RESEARCH RESULTS DETAILED IN THIS REPORT MUST BE TRANSMITTED TO AND ACCEPTED BY THE PRODUCTION SECTOR, AND IN ADDITION, BOTH SHORT AND LONG-TERM CAPITAL WILL BE NECESSARY FOR PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING.