Oyster harvested in Santa Catarina. (Photo: SEAP)

Over 16 per cent mollusc sale increase of Santa Catarina

BRAZIL
Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 16:20 (GMT + 9)

The Company of Agricultural Research and Rural Extension of Santa Catarina (Epagri) presented the results of research that indicates that in 2011 mollusc marketing increased by 16.75 per cent over the previous year.

According to Alex dos Santos, a researcher at the Epagri Development Centre for Aquaculture and Fisheries (Cedap), in 2011 about 18,300 tonnes of mussels, oysters and scallops from Santa Catarina were sold.

The document details how last year the sale of oysters amounted to 2,300 tonnes, that is to say, 19.75 per cent more than in 2010 (1,900 tonnes).

Dos Santos noted that the total number of oyster farmers in the state only rose from 121 -- in 2010 -- to 127 -- in 2011 --, due to the lack of product in the previous harvest, Globo reported.

The municipalities that contributed most to the total production of oysters in Santa Catarina were Florianópolis, São José and Palhoça.

Meanwhile, North Bay and Sul da Great Florianópolis bay are responsible for 96.1 per cent of the state production of farmed oysters.

The community of Ribeirão da Ilha, the capital of Santa Catarina, is the largest producer of oysters, with 1,400 tonnes, accounting for 61.75 per cent of state production.

While in 2011 mussel sales amounted to 15,900 tonnes, that is to say, 16.35 per cent more than in 2010.

About 600 producers from the towns of Palhoça, Governador Celso Ramos and Bombinhas participated in this production.

Palhoça was the town that had the greatest contribution to the numbers in the state with a production of 9,700 tonnes, that is to say, 24 per cent more than in 2010.

While producers from Penha totalled 2,600 tonnes and those from Bombinhas reached 1,500 tonnes.

Epagri also reported that the scallop trade recorded a production of 3,800 tonnes, that is to say, 26.9 per cent less than last year.

The municipality of Penha led the production of 3,400 tonnes, and Florianópolis was in second place with 34.6 per cent of the total.

"The main limiting factor for the consolidation of the productive activity is the unavailability of aquaculture areas with suitable environmental conditions for the species farming," added the researcher.

The production of Santa Catarina in 2011 covered the work of 695 seafood producers, represented by 28 municipal associations and a state one, two federations and a cooperative association.

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.fis.com

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