FI:TCP/SYR/4552 Field Document 4 TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC MARINE AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT A report prepared for the Assistance to Artisanal Fisheries Project Based on the work of D. Lisac Aquaculture Specialist

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, 1997

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal of any country, territory or area, or of its authorities, or concerning of its frontiers or boundaries.

Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.

This electronic document has been scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software. FAO declines all responsibility for any discrepancies that may exist between the present document and its original printed version.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABBREVIATIONS

1.   INTRODUCTION

1.1   Terms of reference

1.2   Background information

1.2.1   Marine fisheries

1.2.2   Freshwater fisheries

1.2.3   Freshwater aquaculture

1.2.4   Marine aquaculture

2.   BASELINE DATA

2.1   Environmental conditions

2.1.1   The coastline and seabed

2.1.2   Meteorological data

2.1.3   Hydrographical conditions

2.1.4   Underwater observations

2.2   Infrastructure and facilities

2.2.1   Ports and landing places

2.2.2   Roads and electricity

2.2.3   Institutional back-up services

2.3   Markets for fishery products

2.3.1   Fish species found in Syrian waters

2.3.2   Prices of marine fish

2.3.3   Supply and demand

2.4   Availability and cost of inputs required

2.4.1   Materials and energy

2.4.2   Labour

2.4.3   Expertise and institutional support

3.   ANALYSIS OF MARINE AQUACULTURE OPTIONS

3.1   Species candidate for farming

3.2   Fish growth rates

3.3   Types of production systems

3.3.1   Land-based systems

3.3.2   Sea-based systems

3.3.3   Hatcheries

3.3.4   Pregrowth facilities

3.4   Availability of sites

3.4.1   Site for land-based culture facilities

3.4.2   Sites for cage culture facilities

3.4.3   Sites for hatcheries and pregrowth facilities

3.5   Cost of production in different culture systems

3.5.1   Definition of principal parameters for production cost analysis

3.5.2   Production cost analysis

3.6   Conclusions and recommendations

4.   MARINE AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL

4.1   General project outline

4.2   Pilot cage farming project

4.2.1   Description of site and facilities

4.2.2   Investment budget and operational expenses

4.2.3   Time-scale required for implementation

4.3   Pilot marine hatchery project

4.3.1   Description of site and facilities

4.3.2   Investment budget and operational expenses

4.4   Land-based farming project28

5.   PERSONNEL TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

5.1   Requirements for specialized training

5.1.1   Farm operation and management

5.1.2   Hatchery operation management

5.1.3   Fish pathology

5.2   Technical assistance to pilot projects

5.2.1   Phase One-100 t pilot cage culture facility

5.2.2   Pilot hatchery facility

5.2.3   Phase Two - 300 t offshore cage culture facility

LIST OF TABLES

1.   Estimated Total Supply of Fish in Syria (1994–1995)

2.   Assessment of Sites for Land-based Culture

3.   Assessment of Sites for Cage Culture

4.   Assessment of Sites for Hatcheries

5.   Production Costs: Summary of Alternative Production System Configurations

ANNEXES