São Paulo, 5/12/2004 (Agência Brasil) - The present administration's decision to restructure the fishing industry and aquaculture activities have begun to show results. For starters, Brazil has increased exports to Europe from 66% to 85% of domestic production. Shellfish exports have risen from 60,000 tons to 93,000 tons. Fish exports were worth US$411 million last year, and should reach US$460 million this year.

Speaking at the opening of the SeaFood ExpoLatin America, minister of Fishing, José Fritsch, revealed that soon an aquaculture project will be inagurated in seven cities in the state of São Paulo on a river near the Ilha Solteira hydroelectric power plant. It will be the first project of its type in the state, following models used on rivers near other large power plants around the country: Sobradinho, in the state of Bahia; Tucuruí; in the state of Pará; Serra da Mesa, in Goiás; Furnas and Três Marias, in Minas Gerais and Itaipu, in Paraná.

At Itaipu (the world's largest hydroelectric power plant) fish production is expected to reach 18.5 million tons annually. At the new project in Ilha Solteira, production should reach 450,000 tons.

Minister Fritsch says that the government sees the fish industry restructuring as a way to boost domestic supply and exports in a sector which is labor intensive. The government is keenly interested in more jobs. At Ilha Solteira, it is estimated that a total of 20,000 jobs will be created.

Fritsch admits that Brazilians are not in the habit of eating fish. One reason is that fish is expensive in Brazil. The minister says that increased production will drive prices down, making it possible for more Brazilians to put fish on their menu.

Translator: Allen Bennett