Hama, Oct 3 (SANA) Fish farms in Syria’s al-Ghab region are gradually resuming operations after more than 14 years of disruption, but Hama’s fish production has fallen to about 2,000 tons amid damaged ponds, limited resources and high input costs, officials and farmers said.
Hussein al-Hussein, director of the Hama branch of the General Authority for Fisheries and Aquatic Life, told SANA that the Ghab Plain, a 63-kilometer-long fertile valley in northwestern Syria, has 291 private fish farms and three state-run farms in Qalaat al-Madiq, Bab al-Taqa and Shatha, covering about 8,000,000 square meters.
He attributed the production decline to farmers’ limited resources, particularly among those returning from displacement, as well as a pandemic and a viral disease that caused large numbers of carp to die.
The authority provides licensing facilities, technical guidance and disease monitoring, while protecting fish stocks in public waters from illegal fishing, al-Hussein said. During the disease outbreak, specialists collected samples from affected ponds for laboratory analysis and advised farmers on managing the disease.
Fish farmer Khaled Ramoudh called for long-term loans to help farmers restore ponds and obtain feed, fingerlings and electrical equipment. He also urged suspending frozen fish imports, particularly tilapia and carp, from October through the end of the year to help local producers market their output.
Farmer Alaa al-Saeed said forced displacement and crimes committed by the ousted regime had contributed to the sector’s collapse, while high fuel, feed and transportation costs have complicated efforts to restore farms.
Nationally, annual fish production averages 20,000 to 25,000 tons, according to Iyad Khadro, director general of the authority. He said production could be doubled by modernizing fishing fleets and expanding aquaculture projects.
The authority has set a target of raising production to 225,000 tons by 2035 as part of a strategic plan to increase domestic supply, Khadro said.
R.H/M.F
