The first eel farm in Belarus has been established in the Miory district

Experts have calculated that in Belarus, eels are found in 48 lakes, 37 of which are located in the Vitebsk region. Among them is Vazha Lake, situated in the Miory district. Eels used to be caught here quite often, but in recent years they have practically disappeared. This gave the idea to Anatoly Savchuk, director of ODO "Actam," who leased the lake, to stock it with young eels. He consulted with knowledgeable people and found out that the survival rate of glass eel larvae is less than 1%. However, if they are grown, the result will be good. He drew up a business plan that proved this new venture for Belarus to be very profitable. This was confirmed by specialists who gave positive conclusions, and funds were allocated from the regional executive committee's innovation fund to the fish farming enterprise "Actam Fish" for the purchase of necessary equipment.

The unique project has been implemented since the spring of 2013. The eel nursery is located in a one-story building. All conditions have been created here for the fry. Round pools, connected by a multitude of pipes through which water circulates, are placed in two rooms. – We purchase glass eels from France; the first batch arrived more than two years ago. We acquired about 20 kg, raised 300, and have already sold half. This autumn, our eels were released into Lake Naroch, – says fish farmer Yulia Pishchalo. The initial weight of the larva is 0.3 grams; it needs to be fed (for release into the wild) up to 20 grams. This process is not simple. First of all, it is necessary to maintain the required hydrochemical regime. The fry feed only in warm water, so a constant temperature of plus 24 degrees is maintained in the tanks. Eels are fed balanced compound feeds. The smallest ones are fed every 3 hours; when they grow, 4 times a day. Eels are bottom-dwelling fish, they prefer darkness, so the rooms with pools are dimly lit, and special tank edges protect them from sunlight. Water undergoes several stages of purification. Specialized equipment was manufactured for the fish farm at Belarusian enterprises. – Water circulates in a closed loop. Before entering the pool with fry, it is passed through several filters that remove iron, soften, and clarify it.

Biological purification is also involved in the system: special bacteria remove ammonia and nitrites from the water. Then the water goes for aeration – it is saturated with oxygen, – explains Yulia. She is a specialist in her field, graduated from the Belarusian Agricultural Academy, choosing the profession of an industrial fish farming engineer-technologist. She loves her job, takes care of the fry like a caring nanny. – They are under round-the-clock supervision. Cameras are installed everywhere, the images are displayed on the monitor. The duty officer observes at night, and if something is wrong, he immediately reports it, – says Yulia. She knows everything about her charges. The eel is an unusual fish, not only in appearance but also in its way of life. It appeared on Earth more than 100 million years ago. It is a very hardy creature, capable of living even without water with a small amount of moisture. Another feature is that the eel reproduces in the deep and warm Sargasso Sea, which washes the shores of North and Central America. The fish spawns only once in its life and dies after spawning. And the larvae are carried by powerful currents to Europe. At the end of the journey (which stretches for 3 years), they are already small, glassy, transparent eels.

In 2008, the fish was included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a species threatened with extinction. In Belarus, amateur eel fishing is prohibited, while commercial fishing is carried out. The fish is considered a delicacy, especially valued when smoked. It is almost impossible to find in stores. There are several reasons for this: it is a perishable product with a short shelf life, it is expensive, and there are almost no offers from suppliers. The canned product "Eel in Jelly", which was once produced by the Braslav Fish Processing Plant, has also disappeared from the shelves. One of the tasks of the farm is to preserve and increase the biodiversity of the water system of the Vitebsk region. In addition to growing eels, they also plan to breed zander. And in this matter, "Actam Fish" will be a pioneer. The enterprise's plans fit into the subprogram "Vitebskryba" of the Regional Program for Innovative and Investment Development of the Vitebsk Region for 2011-2015. Its main goal is the economically beneficial use of the water bodies of the Dvina region to meet the needs of the residents in fish. In particular, the document provides for an increase in fish production volumes through the introduction of new modern technologies, the construction of specialized industrial complexes, and the creation of closed water supply systems for growing salmon, sturgeon, and catfish species. Specialists have calculated that the per capita consumption of fish products in the region as a whole is slightly more than 17 kg per year, while the minimum norm is 19 kg. Many would also like to increase their consumption with eel, which may appear on store shelves in the future.

Tatyana Pasternak, "Vitebskiye Vesti"

Photo by Anton Stepanishchev