Agriculture Minister says aquaculture farms to be set up in Georgia’s west

The Georgian Government has approved the draft resolution on allocating eight locations in the coastline of Adjara, Samegrelo and Guria regions in the west for farming of fish and shellfish, Otar Shamugia, Georgian Agriculture Minister said on Monday.

The farms will be set up based on the recommendation of international experts, with the Minister saying the development of aquaculture industry had “great potential”.

He also said zone management plans and investor proposals would be considered before additional permits and their conditions are outlined, creating an opportunity to attract “large investments”.

Georgia has the opportunity to produce more products to meet local demand, employ more people and increase export capacity of “hundreds of millions of dollars”, the Minister added.

Georgian Law on Aquaculture only allows aquaculture production in designated zones approved by the Government within special economic zones.

The principal recommendations for aquaculture zones were prepared in “close cooperation” with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.