Aquaculture Permits to Be Reviewed

TIRANA, September 29

In an attempt to boost aquaculture, a new official scheme will be applied in Albania. It will pave the way for a concrete survey on the water environments where the cultivation of fish and mussels can take place without affecting tourism.
However, this new initiative might raise the need for reviewing hundreds of permits that have been issued so far. When the survey will be completed, there will be a list of areas apt for aquaculture activities. Each of them will be given for private administration. Regarding the existing permits on fish and mussels cultivation, official representatives say that the situation is problematic.

Given the fact that they fail to meet the required standards, Albania wasn’t able to export mussels, although there are dozens of activities that cultivate them. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, soon Albania will be allowed to export the mussels cultivated in Shengjin. They result to have better hygienic standards compared to the mussels cultivated in Butrint Lake. The new law on aquaculture was adopted in principle by the parliamentary committee on Productive Activity, Trade and Environment. Long debates are expected to take place between lawmakers and stakeholders given that the law is expected to change totally the way how the maritime area will be exploited.

News Source: Scan TV

Photo Credit: skyscrapercity