The cultivation of sturgeon species in Belarus is planned to almost triple by 2012

September 30, Vitebsk region / Natalya Ilyicheva - BELTA /. By 2012, Belarus plans to increase the volume of commercial high-value fish species cultivation to 590 tons, including sturgeon to 180 tons, salmon to 240 tons, and catfish to 170 tons. This was announced today by Anatoly Bulynya, Director of the Department for Land Reclamation and Water Management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus, during a seminar organized by the House of Representatives, according to a BELTA correspondent. Anatoly Bulynya reported that in 2009, it is planned to obtain about 65 tons of commercial sturgeon, about 55 tons of rainbow trout, and about 25 tons of catfish. Last year, fish farming organizations in Belarus produced 34 tons of sturgeon, 15 tons of rainbow trout, and 7 tons of catfish. The increase in the production of valuable fish species is expected to be achieved through the construction of specialized commercial farms with a capacity of 20 to 100 tons, the reconstruction of production facilities, and the creation of recirculating aquaculture systems. The Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Department noted that Russia is currently actively reviewing the priority areas in fish farming. Experts believe that the time has come to move from cultivating "popular" fish (carp, crucian carp) to producing more valuable fish and releasing products from them. Trout farming is actively developing in the northwestern regions of Russia, and it is planned to meet the domestic market's needs in the near future with domestically grown products. The Chinese experience is also interesting. Fish farming is included in the list of state priorities. The Chinese have a slogan: "There should be fish in every body of water!". Today, China holds leading positions in the global export of sturgeon. The development of sturgeon and salmon species production in Belarus is mainly based on imported stocking material. The costs associated with acquiring such material account for 40% to 50% of the cost of the fish being raised, which is a restraining factor. However, after 2011, fish farms in Belarus will begin to meet their own needs for stocking material of sturgeon species, Anatoly Bulynya emphasized. -0-