The Government of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, assisted by the United Nations Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture. Organization of the United Nations, is engaged in the project Feasibility of marine fish fanning (LIB/86/002) whose main objectives are to help the Government to increase the production of marine fish, ensure moderate prices for fresh marine fish and decrease the amount of fish presently imported.
As part of the project operations, FAO appointed Mr J. Muir as consultant civil engineer and Mr L. Berg as consultant bio-engineer for a brief mission in November 1986 to report respectively as follows:
Civil engineer
Facility programme: based on the goals and the bio-criteria, the required facilities will be listed, related to specific production cycles and production units; the monthly water budget for all facilities will be calculated; specific data will be provided on type of water supply,intake systems, distribution systems, pre-treatment, security, future expansion, waste water treatment, operating requirements and non-production water needs.
Siting: selection/approval of the project site on the basis of relevant geographic, topographic, soil, climatic, hydrological, biological and socio-economic factors.
Schematic design: workable design of the facilities
- written design concept
- site Layout
- floor plans for major support buildings
- schematic hydraulics/water requirements
- project schedules
Financial analysis: estimates of construction costs and operating costs; brief financial analysis, identifying constraints/risks.
Bio-engineer
Project goals and concepts: production programme, financial objectives, funding sources, operational responsibilities, purpose of the facility, scale of operation,location, concept of the project.
Biological design criteria: cultured species, behaviour, culture techniques, environmental requirements, nutritional requirements, growth rates, mortality rates, diseases.
Environmental analysis: quality of the existing environment for fish farming (climate, hydrology, physico-chemistry), possible limitations (pollution risks), environmental impact of the project.
The two consultants will collaborate as necessary in fulfilling their respective terms of reference and will produce one consolidated report on their activities.
The present mission represents the second stage of implementation of the project LIB/86/002 formulated in the initial appraisal mission of January 1986, in which a preliminary aquaculture pilot project was identified, to be established at Zawia quarries, 48-km west-of Tripoli. The objectives of the pilot project can be summarized as:
- the establishment of a primary phase of modern intensive and semi-intensive marine aquaculture, specifically oriented towards sea bass (D. labrax), sea. bream (S. aurata) and other marine species;
- the establishment of a marine hatchery capable of producing fry and . fingerlings of the species required;
- the development of a cadre of skilled marine aquaculturists in the country, capable of developing larger scale marine aquaculture;
- the adaptation and development of technology capable of supporting expansion to Large scale production within the earliest possible time
The importance of the pilot project is recognized in view of the increasing problems of supply of good quality marine fish within the country, and of the desire of the Jamahiriya to support its own fish production in an effective manner as early as possible. The pilot project would be expected both to take the role of demonstration project and also that of a system which could be adapted and replicated elsewhere in the country.
Of the systems available for the quarry site itself (which was identified for development because of its protected location adjacent to the coast, its good access to. infrastructure and services, and the strong local support for development), the appraisal mission concluded that intensive aquaculture possibly combined with semi-intensive production provided the only realistic route to practical utilization of the resources of the quarry. This form of aquaculture would also be generally appropriate for the rapid development of production elsewhere along the coast of the country, where, with the exception of specific lagoon areas (e.g., Farwah, Al Zaini) which could be usefully developed for semi-intensive aquaculture, conditions are more suitable for intensive, pumped seawater production.
Terms of reference of the present mission are summarized as follows:
- to review the initial outline proposed for pilot scale production at Zawia;
- to prepare detailed project and design specifications for the pi lot project;
- to recommend methods and timing of implementation of the project including staffing, management and physical development.
The consultants were also required to provide a detailed equipment list suitable for use in the UNDP support project (LIB/86/008) initiated in conjunction with the present project (Appendix 5).
The mission commenced in Tripoli on 18 November 1986 and was completed there on 24 November with additional work at FAO Headquarters, Rome. Appendix 1 gives itinerary and list of persons met.
