THE UNA-LUW PROGRAM IN AQUATIC SCIENCES

School of Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica

Fish Culture and Fisheries Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

HISTORY

Since 1986 the Department of Fish Culture and Fisheries of the Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands and the School of Biological Sciences (ECB) of the Universidad Nacional (UNA) in Heredia, Costa Rica have collaborated in a joint program called "Programa UNA-LUW" (after the acronyms of the two insitutions). Initially the program focused on aquaculture but in 1996 fisheries science was incorporated into the program, thus forming the "UNA-LUW Program in Aquatic Sciences".

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the program is to develop capture fisheries and aquaculture as feasible and sustainable activities and promote technical and scientific support in this area. As the main activity of the program, an academic centre for aquatic sciences is being developed within the School of Biological Sciences of the UNA. This centre will foster aquaculture and fisheries development in Central America.

FACILITIES

Apart from the facilities at the main location of the UNA in Heredia, the ECB has a Marine Biology Station in Puntarenas on the Pacific coast, a lowland freshwater aquaculture station in 28 Millas in the Caribbean zone and an experimental trout farm in Río Macho in the Orosí region, Cordillera Central.

ACTIVITIES

In teaching, the UNA-LUW program contributes to curriculum development, the elaboration of textbooks and to staff development. A number of ECB investigators have received scholarships to obtain an M.Sc.-degree at the Agricultural University of Wageningen, and some are currently doing their Ph.D.-degrees there. There are also funds for short courses and to participate in workshops and conferences.

In research, the UNA-LUW program funds several research projects:

Fisheries research

• Assessment and ecological characterization of the blue crab (Callinectes arcuatus) population in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica (Farid Tabash)
• Diversity and abundance of marine ichthyoplankton in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica (J.A. Rodríguez and Jorge Cabrera)
• The shrimp fishery of the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica (Jose Angel Palacios)
• Technical and biological interactions of the major gears in the demersal fishery in the Gulf of Nicoya and the importance of the mangrove forest for the sustainability of the fishery (Mauricio Vargas)
• Mapping of cyst distribution and monitoring of harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica (Roxana Víquez)
• Implementation and utilization of artificial refuges in the spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery at the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica (Luis Sierra)
• Marketing of marine products in Costa Rica (Angel Herrera)
• Trophic modelling of the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica (Anne van Dam)

Aquaculture research and extension

• Nutrient cycling in ponds (Ricardo Jiménez)
• The use of coffee pulp as a foodstuff in tilapia culture (Juan Ulloa)
• Reproduction and larval rearing of marine fish species (Jorge Boza)
• Commercial culture of cachama, Colossoma macropomum (Nazira Gálvez)
• Reproduction and production of fingerlings of cachama, Colossoma macropomum (Nazira Gálvez)
• Culture of oysters and other bivalvs of commercial interest (Eduardo Zamorra & Wouter Zurburg)
• Trout culture (Jorge Günther)

Symposium/workshop on aquaculture and fisheries in the coastal zone

May 10-14, 1999, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. More information

FUNDING

The project receives funding from the Government of the Netherlands through NUFFIC, the dutch institution for international cooperation in higher education. Currently the project is in its second phase (1995-1999). A proposal for a third and final phase is in preparation.

STAFF

See also the staff list of the UNA-LUW project.

Coordination in Costa Rica:

Lic. Ivette Inostroza (Director ECB, general coordination)
Dr. Jorge Günther (Aquaculture)
M.Sc. Jorge Arturo Rodríguez (Fisheries)
Lic. Nazira Gálvez (Basic courses)
Dr. Gilberto Alfaro (Basic sciences)
Dr. Wouter Zurburg (Aquaculture)

Coordination in Wageningen, The Netherlands:

Dr. Marc Verdegem

Comments to: rjimenez@una.ac.cr