It seems likely that the proposed national aquaculture 'production' policy would be valid for the next few years. It is unrealistic however to attempt to plan in detail what Government must do during those years, but it is both essential and feasible to identify what should be done immediately.
The short-term action plan outlines how civil servants should use public means to further aquaculture. Suitable manpower, equipment and facilities are found mainly in the Inland Fisheries Unit (IFU). While the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture could have a role in mariculture development, this has to date not been the case. As the study group cannot see any real advantage in making the Department of Fisheries responsible for mariculture development, it has written the action plan on the assumption that the IFU will remain as the sole direct Government aquaculture policy implementor.
Before describing the short-term action plan in some more detail, the respective roles of the IFU and of the UWI will be described.
During 1982 the Inland Fisheries Unit used most of its resources on the following:
extension services to fish farmers (mainly for pond culture of T. nilotica) including the production of male tilapia fingerlings;
research on pond culture of fresh water species of fish (mainly carps, sex-reversal of Tilapia nilotica females and some effort on integrated livestock and fish farming);
production of fish for human consumption (Meylersfield, Mitchell Town).
Little or no formalized (institutionalized) training is now given to fish farmers. In fact, a considerable number of small aquaculturists (especially those with either a small farm or a small acreage in ponds) are not yet independent of the services provided by the IFU. Many of them still rely on the IFU for fingerlings, determining the date of harvest, harvesting, and arranging for a buyer.
Given this situation, and the study group's proposed policy with regard to aquaculture production systems, it is recommended that the Inland Fisheries Unit:
start short, intensive training courses for fish farmers (or fish farm managers) in sexing, fingerling production, pond management, harvesting and fish handling;
stop production of food fish (or run the Mitchell Town fish farm as a commercial unit);
concentrate research effort on production-oriented issues for priority species and culture systems; and
focus out-reach extension efforts on new farmers in areas judged to have longrun potential as sites for pond-based aquaculture.
The University of the West Indies (UWI) is engaged in research of a basic nature and in academic teaching. Neither of these types of activities are ideally suited to satisfy the immediate and most urgent needs of Jamaica's present and potential aquaculturists. These are: (i) help in adapting known aquaculture technology to local conditions and (ii) obtaining practical experience in those same technologies or techniques.
Mariculture, or closely related subjects, seem to have attracted more interest amongst University staff than has fresh water aquaculture. Unfortunately this predilection for mariculture does not fit Jamaica's present needs very well. During the next five years priorities are likely to lie much more with fresh water aquaculture. This in no way should be interpreted to mean that mariculture has no role in Jamaica, but only that the economics of fresh water aquaculture, and its possible impact on development objectives, in early 1983 make it appear more interesting from Government's point of view.
If the University decides that it wants to have as large an impact as possible on aquaculture development in Jamaica, then it should take the following steps:
change its emphasis in research from marine to fresh water aquaculture, for which it will need permanent access and use of fresh water ponds;
shift its emphasis in mariculture research (plans) from penaeid shrimps to cage/pen culture of locally available and commercially attractive reef fish;
ensure that its teaching staff obtain the practical experience required to be able to teach fresh water aquaculture at the technical level;
form an inter-university aquaculture committee chaired by the Professor of Zoology and including academic staff specialized in subjects related to aquaculture development (e.g. animal feed, nutrition, agricultural economics and marketing, etc.). This committee should serve as a sounding board for the IFU with regard to its training, research and extension programmes.
Although tilapia culture has been established, there is no room for complacency. First, there is always a constant need to improve the productivity. If this is not done, the relative earnings from tilapia farming will fall. The industry as a whole will stagnate, as tilapia farmers find that they get increasingly more out of a day's work in alternative activities. Second, emphasis must be placed on other categories of tilapia farmers. There are now four groups of tilapia farmers in Jamaica: subsistence farmers, small commercial farmers, large commercial farmers and the corporate sector. Amongst these, the subsistence farmers make up the dominant portion of the present aquaculturists. This must change if output in the industry is to increase. More commercial farmers should be introduced to aquaculture.
While it seems likely that the corporate sector is sufficiently interested, and has the capability to obtain required advice and inputs, commercial farmers need assistance. Specific programmes should be set up to that effect. At present, however, a large part of IFU's resources are tied up in a continuing support of a large number of subsistence farmers.
The study group makes the following recommendations:
Development
Make existing tilapia farmers independent of constant support from IFU extension workers
Concentrate its human and physical resources on those areas where a relatively large number of ponds are likely to develop during the next few years
Use most of IFU's resources in support of culture by the small and mediumsized commercial farmers
Identify a suitable institutional structure for providing support to small commercial farmers in the following areas:
credit
fingerlings and fish feed
marketing of output.
Research
Establish the optimum economic combination of feed and fertilizers for different stocking densities and water management conditions
Increase the effort in developing a commercially viable technology for sexreversals using hormones
Conduct polyculture trials on tilapia and Chinese carps
Integrate broiler production with tilapia farming.
Training
Provide short-term intensive and practical training on: water management in ponds, application and determination of quantities of feed and fertilizer, and fish handling.
Extension
Increase the price of male tilapia fingerlings
Promote commercial production of male tilapia fingerlings
Gradually discontinue harvesting assistance.
The Government's effort should be directed towards the adaptation of known technologies of fresh water prawn culture to Jamaican conditions. The study group has proposed a technology for growing fresh water prawn on the island (see Annex 9, Section 7). That technology remains to be proven or modified. This should be done by aquaculturists who have experience in the culture of fresh water prawns. As no Jamaican aquaculturist has that experience, an expatriate specialist should be employed. Grow-out trials can be initiated immediately.
It would seem appropriate to conduct trials in at least three different sites simultaneously. Each site should have at least two acres (pond surface area) split in at least two ponds. Juveniles or post-larvae of M. rosenbergii can be purchased from the commercial hatchery at Ferris Cross.
The first thing to do is to construct a raceway which will provide IFU the possibility of working out a viable technology. As there is no experience with this technology in Jamaica, an expatriate specialist should be brought in to direct culture trials.
Once the technology has been established, the issues confronting the potential ‘raceway-culturist’ resemble those that confront the farmers who raise tilapia in ponds. The issues include supply of fingerlings and marketing of product. However, as raceway culture is more complicated than pond culture it will become necessary for IFU to organize short-term, practical training courses on raceway culture for aquaculture technicians.
Government action to develop the pen culture industry will have to begin with a more detailed survey of the places mentioned in Annex 8 and other sites showing possibilities, in order to pinpoint specific areas that should be set aside for pen culture. Such survey should include studies on the socio-economic impact the industry is expected to make, and should identify possible conflicts arising from urban planning, environmental changes, and even institutional and legal jurisdiction as may be foreseen within one or two decades.
A 1.0 ha pen, quite close to the oyster culture project, can be started. The advantage in Bowden is that there are existing facilities, including staff, on a land base close to water. Fresh water, some portable pumps, and store room for feeds will be needed. Other items can be procured as the need arises and brought to Bowden with little effort.
The model pen may be divided into two by a separating wall. One can be used for rearing fish alone, the other for both fish and oysters, as outlined in section 5.1.5.
The construction of the pen will need direction and supervision by an expatriate expert. It will be operated by local staff who will have been sent on fellowship travel for training and observation to other countries where fish pen culture has become an established industry.
An economical feed, using ingredients locally available, will have to be formulated and tested. An ADCP formulation (wheat bran 40%, soyabean cake 30%, bone meal 1.5%, brewery waste, dry, 28%, and vitamin and mineral pre-mix 0.5%) is being recommended for T. mossambica. However, other formulations might be more efficient to allow the fish to reach the required market size within the six months time frame. Other diets will be needed by other species of fish.
While T. mossambica can be procured from the wild, the requirements of the pens demand bigger quantities within a minimum period during stocking. Otherwise the operation becomes protracted. The production of stock material for the pilot pen will have to be undertaken by Government in existing Government-owned fresh water farms, later by private fish farmers as the demand arises.
The presence of few juveniles of snappers, groupers and jacks, as observed in the study of three reef areas may not necessarily mean that there is a dearth in the abundance of the fry. Somewhere, at one time or another, schools of these young fish should be present, particularly at beach areas where, because of their limited mobility, they are carried by the waves towards shore.
Collection at this stage and rearing them in nurseries offer better protection and more controlled growth, at the same time assuring pen farmers (to a certain extent) of the availability of stock. There is enough information about larval rearing of related species of sea basses (Lates calcalifer and Dicentrarchus labrax) as a basis for similar operation, as also about induced spawning of broodstock for hatchery produced fry.
The current technique used by the oyster culture project has, as earlier stated, been considered by the study group as quite efficient and advanced. New plans to grow the oysters in baskets or trays that have to be imported from abroad would merely satisfy a tourist trade, where single shells instead of clusters have more appeal. As the oysters grown on rubber cultches are not too dense and could readily be separated, and unless new spats have attached to earlier sets (this could also happen to oysters in trays and baskets) presentation of single shells to a discriminating public should not be much of a problem.
Extension of grow out operations to areas where conditions for growth are favourable now would depend upon results of present investigations being coordinated along these lines by the Project. Already Port Antonio has shown encouraging results. The introduction of stock in new areas with culture possibilities might, at some point in time, lead to the establishment of a natural population which can supply seed, such as Bowden presently enjoys.
Such good growths at Port Antonio as may also be the case where sites might be located quite close to big centres of population, give rise to problems of health. For the consuming public, with particular direction towards foreign tourists, Government should think about depuration plants and strict health laws that should guarantee sale of safe oysters for consumption in raw state.
All microdams should be stocked with fresh water fish.
The IFU should make an effort, jointly with the NADC's secretariat, to build up a reference library on aquaculture activities of potential interest to Jamaican aquaculturists and entrepreneurs.
