National Marine Aquaculture Workshop: Planning a Productive and Sustainable Future for Colombia's Seas

Cartagena, Bolívar, (@UPRAColombia, @alexander_rodr_, @dorairey). With the aim of promoting the sustainable development of Colombia’s fishing and aquaculture sector and strengthening inter-institutional collaboration, the National Marine Aquaculture Workshop was held in Cartagena. It brought together representatives from the governments of Norway and Colombia, as well as from the private sector. 

"This marine aquaculture workshop was designed to establish an innovative discussion platform with various stakeholders for the development of marine aquaculture in our country. UPRA shared advancements in the zoning of aquaculture suitability for human consumption and artisanal marine fishing, as well as the joint work with the Ministry of Agriculture and AUNAP in defining Colombia's marine-coastal frontier," said Renato Baldovino, technical leader of the Zoning at UPRA.

The agenda covered topics such as the current state of marine aquaculture in Colombia, plans and ambitions for marine aquaculture, existing legislation, spatial planning, environment, biosecurity, animal health, and welfare.

"It was a space for open discussion between public and private actors, providing the industry with a platform to share ideas and perspectives on the potential of marine aquaculture in Colombia and the future of this emerging industry, with a focus on identifying next steps and planning future activities under the Fishing for Development Project," explained Alexander Rodríguez Romero, technical director of Efficient Land Use and Land Improvement at UPRA.

Furthermore, institutions from bot​h countries explored the importance of spatial planning, environmental mapping, protected areas, and species in building a sustainable marine aquaculture industry. "We reviewed Norway's experience in spatial planning and UPRA's suitability zoning in Colombia, presenting each country's experiences and best practices, focusing on the environmental risks posed by marine aquaculture and strategies to mitigate them, with special emphasis on the region’s unique environmental considerations," commented Sebastián Polo, technical expert at UPRA.

We invite you to learn more about UPRA's zoning for artisanal marine fishing and aquaculture at the following links: 
 
1. Zoning of suitability for commercial farming of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in land-based ponds for human consumption in Colombia, at a scale of 1:100,000

https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Pu​blicaciones/20240320_Trucha_Arcoiris.pdf 

2. Zoning of suitability for commercial farming of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and the red hybrid (Oreochromis sp.) in land-based ponds for human consumption in Colombia, at a scale of 1:100,000​

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

3. Zoning of suitability for commercial farming of white cachama (Piaractus brachypomus) and black cachama (Colossoma macropomum) in land-based ponds for human consumption in Colombia, at a scale of 1:100,000​

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

4. Zoning of suitability for commercial farming of white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) in land-based ponds for human consumption in Colombia, at a scale of 1:100,000​

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

5. Zoning of suitability for commercial farming of three native fish species: yamú (Brycon amazonicus), bocachico (Prochilodus sp.), and striped catfish (Pseudoplatystoma sp.) in land-based ponds for human consumption in Colombia, at a scale of 1:100,000​

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

6. Zoning of potential for artisanal marine shrimp fishing in Colombia, at a scale of 1:100,000​
 

https://upra.gov.co/es-co/Publicaciones/20240320_Zo​nif_Pesca_camaron.pdf