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FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq (April 23, 2008) - Fish farms
have begun to thrive in Iraq's Babil province, as Task Force Marne
soldiers take on a critical role in rebuilding this vital
industry.
Thanks to the vision of Army Col. Thomas James, commander of the
3rd Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team and Army Maj. Gen.
Rick Lynch, commander of Multinational Division Center -- along
with help from 4th Brigade Combat Team soldiers -- residents in the
region are benefiting from this massive undertaking.
"After securing our area of operations in MND-C, our goal is
achieving sustainable security for the people of our towns and
villages," James said. "One important means of accomplishing this
is by providing jobs - including those at the fish farms of Babil
province, where several thousand jobs will be available." Creating
jobs not only provides employment and income opportunities, but
also establishes a positive alternative to joining extremist
groups, he added.
The new fish farms have the potential to add at least 5,000
direct and indirect local employment opportunities to the region.
In Hillah, the Euphrates Fish Farm alone will employ at least 500
people.
The start-up or renovation costs for running fish farms are
relatively low, especially for farmers using existing ponds or
marshland pools. Still, the expense can be prohibitive in this
local economy, devastated by years of war.
To provide farms with the necessary initial support, Lynch
authorized the distribution of microgrants using Commander's
Emergency Reconstruction Program funds. The CERP funds provide
commanders with economic resources to distribute among businesses
and projects that need assistance the most.
To date, MND-C officials have allocated more than $100,000 for
fish farms in their area of operations. In the 4th BCT battle
space, 65 fish farmers have received more than $59,000 in
microgrants to help in jumpstarting the industry.
Fish farming is hardly a new concept in Babil. Thousands of fish
farms once existed in Iraq, but the war reduced that figure to a
few hundred. However, as the industry's capacity expands, fish
farming is becoming increasingly important to the Iraqi
economy.
Army Brig. Gen. Edward Cardon, deputy commander for support for
MND-C, pointed out that "aqua-culture development is the perfect
agri-business for MND-C. It has an established record of success in
this region dating back generations. Each of our brigade combat
teams successfully developed fish farm associations to exchange
ideas on the cultivation and sustainability of fish crops. They
empower entire communities to join together toward business
success."
Local fish farmers will not be the only beneficiaries of this
project. As part of the "Buy Iraq" initiative, all farmers will
purchase feed from a local Iraqi mill. Ideally, that mill will be
equipped with an extruder to pelletize the feed, allowing it to
float in the fish farm ponds.
On May 1, 15 live-haul fish transport tanks will arrive,
specially designed and manufactured at the Iskandariyah Industrial
Complex. Farmers will procure more of these tanks to haul fish to
markets, where local merchants will profit by selling them to
families and restaurants.
The Babil fish farming initiative is one example of the
interagency cooperation that has been effectively rebuilding the
Iraqi economy and infrastructure. The project harnesses the
resources of Task Force Marne soldiers, local institutions, U.S.
Agency for International Development officials in Inma and embedded
provincial reconstruction teams.
These partners combined efforts to refurbish the Euphrates Fish
Farm Pumping Station at Hillah, at a cost of more than $600,000.
They completed construction in time for the spring hatch season in
March.
Additionally, these institutions worked together to clean and
repair the canals that bring water to the fish farms. "The inlet
from the Euphrates River has been dredged sufficiently to allow
water to pass through the pump station and on to the canals
irrigating the Euphrates Fish Farms and scores of farms in the area
that are returning to production," USAID-Inma project director
Duane Stone explained.
Similar projects are in the works throughout Babil province for
Iskandariyah, Haswah and Hillah, along canal systems fed by the
Euphrates. In addition to fish farms, many of these same canals
also provide irrigation for croplands, benefiting many throughout
the region.
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