With the aim of improving the living conditions of this important rural population sector, the Ministry of Agriculture, Upra, and Aunap carried out the Zonification of the national potential for artisanal marine shrimp fishing and Magdalena bocachico, as well as Zonifications of Aptitude for aquaculture of five species: trout, cachama, tilapia, native species, and white shrimp, on a scale of 1:100,000.

"With these zonifications, we identify the regions of Colombia with the greatest potential for fishing and aquaculture, strengthening planning exercises and providing tools to guide investments from both the public and private sectors around these value chains. Zonifications are a fundamental tool that municipalities and departments can use for the formulation of local development plans; additionally, they allow fishermen and aquaculturists to identify the best areas for their activity," explained Claudia Liliana Cortés, General Director of Upra.

 
Karen Elena Mejía Piñerez, Director of Aunap, stated, "Zonification is very important for artisanal fishermen; they have handling techniques and fishing methods such that, with proper zonification, they will be able to apply them while respecting conservation areas, closed seasons, and minimum catch sizes; all of which will reflect in sustainable productive activity over time, a manifestation of that great productivity at the national level, creating specific dynamism in the country's economy."

 
Colombia has significant potential for developing fishing and aquaculture due to its vast water resources, both continental and marine, along two coasts: the Pacific and the Caribbean, as well as islands, along with suitable conditions in climate, soil, and water supply, among others, for fish farming.

The seven zonifications are now available for consultation and download on the website www.upra.gov.co​​, in the publications section, or directly at the following links:

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Five for aquaculture: ​​ 

1. Trout:
https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Publicaciones/20240320_Trucha_Arcoiris.pdf

2. Tilapia
https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Publicaciones/Zonificacion-Tilapia.pdf

3. Cachama
https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Publicaciones/20240320_Zonif_Cachama.pdf

4. Shrimp
https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Publicaciones/20240315_zonificaci%C3%B3n_Camar%C3%B3n.pdf

5. Native species
https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Publicaciones/Especies_Nativas.pdf
 

And two for fishing:

​1. Magdalena​ ​Bocachico 
https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Publicaciones/Pesca_Bocachico.pdf

2. Artisanal marine shrimp fishing​​​ 
https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Publicaciones/20240320_Zonif_Pesca_camaron.pdf​

Find the technical reports (with the results of each of these studies) and the respective cartographic complements by navigating the Information System for Rural Agricultural Planning (SIPRA).​

Our country is classified as one of the world's highest water-rich countries; aquaculture and fishing are sources of life in Colombia, an agricultural power! 
 

Key data from the zonifications: 
 

Fishing:

• The Zonification of the potential for artisanal marine shrimp fishing identified that Colombia has 52,902 km2 suitable for developing the activity, distributed on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. The departments with the best suitability are La Guajira, Bolívar, Magdalena, Sucre, Chocó, Valle del Cauca, and Nariño. As for the area with the highest possible suitability, the Caribbean has 4,209 km2, while the Pacific has 601 km2.
• Continental artisanal fishing in Colombia is mainly carried out in the basins of the Magdalena, Sinú, Atrato, Orinoco, and Amazon rivers.
• The Zonification of the potential for artisanal fishing of Magdalena bocachico identified 3,135,646 hectares suitable for this productive activity, equivalent to 58.7% of the study area. The departments with the largest areas with high suitability are Bolívar (85,679 ha), Córdoba (80,587 ha), Antioquia (65,041 ha), Magdalena (50,369 ha), and Santander (37,756 ha). 

Aquaculture: 
 

• The Zonification of the suitability for rainbow trout identified that Colombia has 4,853,350 hectares potentially suitable for commercial production in land ponds, equivalent to 11.1% of the national agricultural frontier. The largest area with potential for rainbow trout production in land ponds is found in the departments of Cundinamarca (735,027 ha), Antioquia (715,507 ha), Boyacá (698,183 ha), Cauca (597,145 ha), and Santander (541,300 ha).
• The Zonification of the suitability for white and black cachama identified that Colombia has 25,417,331 hectares potentially suitable for commercial production in land ponds, equivalent to 22.3% of the total national territory. The departments of Vichada (4,120,160 ha), Meta (4,016,282 ha), Casanare (2,884,441 ha), Córdoba (1,608,034 ha), and Caquetá (1,391,382 ha) have the largest suitable areas.
• The Zonification of the suitability for silver tilapia and red hybrid identified that Colombia has 25,851,026 hectares potentially suitable for commercial production in land ponds, equivalent to 59.9% of the national agricultural frontier. Vichada (4,223,082 ha), Meta (4,067,848 ha), Casanare (2,899,937 ha), Córdoba (1,608,858 ha), and Caquetá (1,408,624 ha) are the departments with the greatest suitability in the country.
• The Zoning of suitability for commercial white shrimp production in land ponds identified that Colombia has 7,701,972 hectares potentially suitable for commercial production, equivalent to 17.8% of the national agricultural frontier. The departments with the largest areas suitable for this aquaculture activity are part of the Colombian Caribbean coast: Magdalena (1,202,154 ha), Córdoba (1,187,776 ha), Cesar (770,307 ha), Bolívar (761,694 ha), and Antioquia (649,855 ha), which together account for 59.3% of the suitable areas in the country, totaling 4,571,787 hectares.