Photo: courtesy SEmana

Aunap clarified that the basa fish species has not been legally introduced to the country

COLOMBIA
Friday, May 07, 2021, 06:00 (GMT + 9)

General or particular authorization has not yet been issued to natural or legal persons for their sowing, cultivation or processing.

The ICA and Aunap join forces and evaluate the biological aspects of the ecology of the base fish

The National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority (Aunap), an entity attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, reported that it has not issued any administrative act that declares the Pangasyanodon hipohtalmus species, known as Basa fish, as legally introduced to the country. In the same way, it has not issued any general or particular authorization to natural or legal persons for the sowing, cultivation, or processing based on its declaration as a domesticated species.

Artisanal fishermen captured specimens in the waters of the Carare River and in the Guarinocito swamp, Magdalena basin; Later, confirmed records located prototypes of the fish in towns in the same area: Puerto Triunfo, Puerto Berrío, Santa Clara, Caño San Juan, Ciénaga de Chucurí and del Opón, as well as Barrancabermeja. (Photo: Humboldt Institute)

It should be noted that Aunap has within its functions to be the fisheries and aquaculture authority of Colombia, which is empowered to carry out planning, investigation, ordering, promotion, regulation, registration, information, inspection, surveillance and control processes of the activities of fisheries and aquaculture.

On this basis, the declaration of domesticated species is in principle at the head of the Aunap; However, in order to issue the respective administrative act, it is essential to have a prior statement from the ministerial portfolio of the environment and sustainable development.

Photo: Instituto Humboldt

"The Basa or Pangasius fish, whose scientific name is Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878) is an exotic species, this means that it is not native to our Colombian territory, therefore, until it is defined as domesticated under Colombian aquaculture regulations, It is forbidden to develop any type of productive cultivation," said the entity.

It is important to note that the Ministry of Environment, provided the endorsement to the National Authority of Aquaculture and Fisheries - AUNAP, to carry out a first investigation in conjunction with the Regional Autonomous Corporations and thus in this way guarantee from their environmental competences, the evaluation of the behavior of the species, Pangasyanodon hipohtalmus, compared to the native species, and in this way the Interinstitutional Agreement for Scientific Cooperation was made between Aunap, the Alto Magdalena Regional Autonomous Corporation, the Atlantic Autonomous Regional Corporation and the Surcolombiana University, whose purpose it was "to evaluate biological, trophic ecology and health aspects of different age groups of the Basa fish (Pangasyanodon hipohtalmus Sauvage, 1878) obtained in Colombia, and kept under confinement conditions in Aunap".

Photo: Courtesy Semana

The results of the previous research were socialized in December 2020 with the academic sector, the productive sector, institutions and the community in general in order to transfer their scope. The experience with the research was favorable and met expectations, additionally within the framework of the results dissemination plan we have participated in international communication scenarios, where Colombia positioned itself as a benchmark and pioneer in advancing fish research based on Latin America.

Author: Anderson Urrego /La Republica

editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media

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