Creation of alternatives for income generation for the population was the main
motivating factor for conducting this experiment; however, for it to become practical,
a series of theoretical factors had to be taken into consideration, such as: the
population's vocation for the activity, the quality of the local water, climate
characteristics, area and community selection in accordance with predetermined
criteria, the search for technical partners, and a number of other factors. Ensuring the
production of good quality food and in the quantity required, rural settlement,
developing new crops and technology, and providing skill-building for rural dwellers
were also among the goals of this initiative that Mineração Rio do Norte, one of the
world's largest producers of bauxite (the raw material for producing aluminum),
decided to include as part of its Social Responsibility program and to sponsor fully.
To achieve the goals, a number of actions have been established, including: training
and technical assistance, conducted by a professional specializing in freshwater
aquaculture; supplying each community group with net-made tanks for the fish and
nursery tanks to begin the project. Each group received three tanls (one
nursery).Each tank has a capacity for 1,300 fish. Also, the first fingerlings were
provided, which were purchased through the Executive Secretariat of Agriculture -
SAGRI, of Santarém city, Pará State, where years before MRN donated some 30
matrices of tambaqui fish, at an average wight of 5kg each, intended for induced
laboratory brreding. Due to the fragility of the fingerlings, complete monitoring was
performed by professionals, from production to delivery in the communities. Finally,
the biggest cost item: the ration. The initial and growth ration was purchased and
distributed to the communities, who were properly instructed as to the daily amount
and fractioning of it, according to fish age, which is assessed through the process of
biometrics by sampling. The ration accounts for the highest cost item because its
manufacturing process is industrial and there are no studies to date that prove the
effectiveness of the inclusion of local elements in its composition. The results of this
experiment may be known in detail throughout this paper.
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