An analysis of the aquaculture value chain in Tunisia highlighted the need to improve the performance of this sector and optimize the management of fish feed.
These analyses carried out as part of a pilot project in Monastir as part of the second phase of the SwitchMed initiative in Tunisia, revealed excessive use of fish feed.
Performance in aquaculture is measured by a metric known as “feed conversion ratio”, which varies between 1.9 kg and 2.5 kg, while the international benchmark is 1.6 kg.
In this project, we used various technologies to ensure a good distribution of food in the cages, reduce fish mortality and increase their growth,” explained Benoit Wuatelet, blue economy team leader at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), during a workshop on the theme “Innovation and circularity in Tunisian aquaculture”, Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
These technologies mainly rely on artificial intelligence, using image analysis to identify fish sizes and accurately measure food quantities, and remote communication via 4G antennas.
The pilot project, which ends in June 2024 and was carried out in collaboration with the private sector, demonstrated the contribution of innovative and intelligent technologies to improving the economic performance of the aquaculture sector, underlined Mohamed Salah Azaza, director of the National Institute for Research and Technologies of the Sea (INSTM). According to him, these technologies can help reduce the food conversion rate (food use and management), which represents 60% of aquaculture production costs in Tunisia.
The aim is also to significantly reduce environmental impact, increase business competitiveness, and change the perception of consumers, environmental organizations, and civil society regarding the image of the aquaculture sector in the country.
In Tunisia, around thirty companies are active in aquaculture, including 20 specializing in marine fish farming. Exports of aquaculture products represent between 10 and 15% of national production, reaching 21,000 tonnes in 2022. The objective is to increase production to 56,000 tonnes by 2030, targeting the European Union (EU), the Gulf countries, and Canada.
Esma Bounouh, head of the Program to support the sustainable development of agriculture and artisanal fishing in Tunisia (Adapt) at the Italian Development Cooperation Agency (AICS), spoke of a credit line of 57 million euros managed by the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) and financial institutions as part of a Program to support the private sector and financial inclusion in agriculture and the social economy (Prasoc).
Nearly 119 million dinars (MDT) have already been disbursed, financing 280 projects in the agriculture, fishing, and aquaculture sectors and creating 4,000 jobs.
Tax and financial incentives in the form of subsidies (ranging from 15 to 50% of investment costs) are also planned. Their annual value is estimated at 20 MTD on average, according to the central director of investment incentives at the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency (Apia).
The Switch Med program in Tunisia focuses on two sectors: textiles and the blue economy, according to UNIDO representative in Tunisia, Lassaad Ben Hassine. For textiles and clothing, the objective is to support the private sector by promoting the circular economy, while for the blue economy, the objective is to increase the sustainability of the value chain of the products of the sea in Tunisia.
Aquaculture production increased from 3,000 tonnes in 2006 to 21,000 tonnes in 2022, representing between 3% and 13% of national fish production. In terms of value, production will increase from 41 MTD in 2006 to 329 MTD in 2022, thanks to the implementation of offshore cage fish farming projects.
A dozen Tunisian and foreign companies from Denmark, Norway, Greece, Malta, France, and Spain will meet around fifteen aquaculturists to exchange innovative solutions in the field of aquaculture, announced Antonino Trimarchi, coordinator of the SwitchMed/Onudi program for Tunisia and Morocco.
SwitchMed is a program launched by the European Union (EU) in eight Mediterranean countries, including Tunisia, to stimulate the creation of new business opportunities and jobs while reducing the environmental impact of existing economic activities in the south of the Mediterranean. Mediterranean.
