Brazil and Paraguay debate authorization to raise tilapia in Itaipu

The creation of tilapia in the lake of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant was one of the topics discussed at a meeting this Wednesday (24) between President Jair Bolsonaro and Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez, which included the participation of Minister Tereza Cristina ( Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) and the secretary of Aquaculture and Fisheries at Mapa, Jorge Seif Jr. Data from the National Water Agency (ANA) show that the capacity to produce fish in the reservoir of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant is 400 thousand tons per year. Currently, the cultivation of tilapia in tanks in the Itaipu reservoir is not permitted under Paraguayan legislation. According to secretary Seif, authorization for the creation of tilapia in the reservoir will allow for an increase of 40% in production in Brazil and 20 times in Paraguay. “There is a law within the Paraguayan parliament that needs to be changed. We are negotiating not only with the executive branch, but also with the ...