FRESH WATER FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ANCASH.

EVALUATION, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR REPORT, COVERS THE PERIOD 7/7/77 TO 3/31/79 AND IS BASED ON PROJECT FILES/FINANCIAL RECORDS, INTERVIEWS, AND ONSITE VISITS. A TOTAL OF $225,969 OF $465,000 HAS BEEN SPENT. MAJOR COSTS WERE THE PELLET MILL, LABORATORY EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU) TEAM. THE PROJECT IS BEHIND SCHEDULE, DUE TO POOR MANAGEMENT ABILITY BY COUNTERPART MANAGER (NOW REPLACED); LACK OF COUNTERPART FUNDING (NOW BEING PROVIDED); AND TRANSFER OF PROJECT ADMINISTRATION FROM THE MINISTRY OF FISHERIES (MF) TO THE NORTH-CENTER REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANISM (ORDENOR-CENTRO). FISH FARMS ARE COMPLETE AND READY TO BE STOCKED. PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN TRAINED FOR HUASHAO AND ACOPALCA. ACCESS ROAD TO THE FORMER SHOULD BE IMPROVED. HUARAZ HATCHERY AND LABORATORY ARE LARGELY COMPLETE. USAID SHOULD REQUEST ORDENOR-CENTRO TO TRAIN THE LABORATORY EMPLOYEE IN THE USE OF THE EQUIPMENT. THE TROUT FEED PELLETING PLANT HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED AND EQUIPPED. CSU TEAM HAS TRAINED A NEW CREW AND CSU"S NUTRITIONIST IS DEVELOPING AN ECONOMICAL RATIO FORMULA. BECAUSE OF POOR FISH GROWTH, LAKE PURHUAY WAS DROPPED FROM THE PROJECT. LAKE YANACOCHA WILL BE STOCKED IN JUNE, AS WILL THE FISH FARMS. SERVICES OF CSU TEAM HAVE BEEN SATISFACTORY, EXCEPT FOR THEIR FAILURE TO PROVIDE A FISHERIES ECONOMIST. DUE TO LACK OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE CAPABILITY OF LOCAL TECHNICIANS, THE TRAINING PLAN HAS BEEN MODIFIED. CSU WILL NOW CONDUCT SHORT COURSES FOR 25 MF AND ORDENOR-CENTRO TECHNICIANS. THE TOP STUDENTS WILL THEN BE GIVEN PARTICIPANT TRAINING AT CSU. A TOTAL OF $70,000 HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR START-UP COSTS OF FISH PRODUCTION. PROFITS MADE WITHIN THE FIRST 18-24 MONTHS WILL BE SAVED FOR USE BY THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT ASSUMES OPERATING COSTS. USAID SHOULD OBTAIN THE TIOGA MOTOR HOME DEMONSTRATION UNIT FOR PROJECT USE. IF THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, A REFUND SHOULD BE SOUGHT FROM GOP. USAID SHOULD KEEP CSU INFORMED OF PROJECT EVENTS. PROJECT IS IN ITS CRITICAL STAGE AND DEMANDS CLOSE MONITORING BY USAID.