integrated into a global Caribbean framework
For many countries aquaculture may present interesting opportunities for developing new coastal activities, providing employment, and protein either for local consumption or for export. This is specially applicable to the Caribbean area, for which a better integration of fishery exploitation and aquaculture adapted to local possibilities and needs would be highly beneficial.
The demand for fish and marine products in Jamaica far exceeds the local supply, and the direct consequence is an importation of marine products that even exceeds regional production. Morever, it is very unlikely that there can be a significant rise in local capture fisheries production, as the stocks are claimed to be dramatically overexploited.
Thus aquaculture seems to be the only solution to increase local fish production. Freshwater aquaculture has already been developed, but most of the easily exploitable sites are now used for Tilapia pond culture, which makes any significant further development unlikely. Therefore, the remaining opportunities to be studied in order to increase local fish production are :
alternative freshwater and/or brackishwater Tilapia culture systems
Short, medium and long term approaches
However, in aquaculture many examples of some successes and many failures, show that successful activities very rarely develop spontaneously with immediate or short-term results, without the support of a carefully planned phase of research preceding industrial development. The establishment of these activities requires the simultaneous satisfaction of many conditions: biological, technical, socioeconomic and institutional. Many projects, having overlooked or underestimated these conditions, have resulted in drastic failures or severe disillusionment, often discouraging local authorities and entrepreneurs for many years.
Rearing wild marine fish is a very recent activity, and yet provides limited opportunities for a rapid and cheap transfer of technology. Aquatic animals are very strictly dependent upon the surrounding environment which regulates all their physiological functions. This recently established technology remains complex, and in most cases is still under rapid evolution ; its transfer to new environments (hydrological and human) always requires some adaptation.
| Short term | when the technology is available and reproductible, when the objectives and organization of the project are clearly established, a transfer of technology from scientist to farmer can be operated rapidly. It often represents only a part of the aquaculture process, which by itself, is not always sufficient to ensure the success of the operation (for example the establishment of a hatchery producing fry of a given species). |
| Medium term | when the technology does not exist, or requires significant improvement, years of research are generally required to bring together the knowledge necessary to promote the development. Usually this process requires a minimum of 3 to 5 years to allow commercial application to take place at a reasonable cost. |
| Long term | rearing a species which has potential, but for which the process of domestication has not started, faces severe difficulties ; major research is necessary, and may provide applicable results only in the long term (10 years). Over the same time period, significant improvements can be made to rearing processes when applying modern scientific technology such as genetics. |
In order to promote these possibilities and insure the best results, a progressive approach is proposed in this programm composed of 3 projects, one of them with 2 sub-projects.
1- Evaluation of the micro-economic feasibility of alternative fish rearing systems in Jamaica, in order to quantify the best opportunities and the costs of their promotion (project 1).
2- Aquaculture diversification & regional cooperation in fish farming in the Carribean, to be undertaken at a regional level.
2.1- A workshop on tropical marine fish culture in the Caribbean including participants from the whole Caribbean region, in order to compare regional experiences and promote regional co-operation in aquaculture research and development. (sub-project 2.1)
2.2- An assessement of the potential of local marine species for marine cage farming. (sub-project 2.2)
3- Education and training in order to provide Jamaican research and development staff with the necessary skills in marine aquaculture (project 3).
1. Project title : “Evaluation of the micro-economic feasibility of alternative fish rearing systems in Jamaica”
2. Location : Fisheries Division
3. Duration : 4 months
4. Counterpart organisations : FD, UWI
5. Indicative budget : US$ 44,000
Government contribution in kind
Donor contribution US$ 44,000
6. Objectives :
Development
to develop new fish culture systems in Jamaica
Immediate
7. Justification and background :
The present report allowed to obtain through a gross macroeconomic and technical approach, the potential of development of finfish culture systems in Jamaica, in fresh and saltwater environments. This led to propose three possible ways of development :
increase the productivity of freshwater Tilapia culture through intensification of the production in “trout like” systems.
assess the extension of Tilapia culture in brackish water environments (through cage or pond culture).
support after a research-development phase (project 2), the development of marine cage culture (Tilapia, other species of marine fish).
These innovative freshwater (intensive methods) and marine aquaculture development may be envisaged, provided it has good adaptability to the local market and is technically and economically feasible under Jamaican conditions. Thus, the economic feasibility of these three proposals has to be rapidly assessed through a microeconomic analysis of existing (Tilapia) or potential (marine sp.) enterprises in the socio economic context of Jamaica.
8. Activities:
Collection and analysis of existing economic data of existing production structures. (1 month 2 Jamaican experts (FD, UWI, economic dpt): typology, investment, operating costs…
Elaboration of provisional technicoeconomic models for the three axis proposed (1 expert intensive FW culture, 1 expert in facility and hatchery design and operation, 1 expert in socio-economics & planning in aquaculture), working in connection with the experts mentioned above. Production of a comprehensive report including all the above mentioned elements and a comparative study of the assets and constraints of the different production systems, under Jamaican conditions.
Elaboration of specific development projects
Presentation of the projects and search for funding
9. Approximate budget: (incl. administrative overhead)
| Consultants (43 p/d) | 16,000 US$ |
| Travel and per diem | 21,000 US$ |
| Miscellaneous (report, photo, video…) | 3,000 US$ |
| Sundries (10%) | 4,000 US$ |
| Total | 44,000 US$ |
Aquaculture diversification & regional cooperation in fish farming
1. Project title: “Workshop on tropical marine fish culture in the Caribbean”
2. Locations: UWI
3. Duration: 3 months
4. Counterpart organisations: UWI, SRC, FD
5. Indicative budget: 84,000 US$
Government contribution in kind
Donor contribution 84,700 US$
6. Objectives:
Development
attempt to structure the fish culture sector, by each country and at a regional level: (research, transfer of knowledge, technical assistance, development).
Immediate
7. Justification and background:
Jamaica has specific needs in marine aquaculture development, but the same issues may be encountered in other Caribbean countries. Therefore it is important for all these countries as at least bio-technical problems are the same all over the area, to compare their experiences and needs in marine fish culture in order to promote more efficient action programmes through regional co-operation in research and development.
8. Activities:
Preparation of national studies in the relevant countries:
every selected country in the area should prepare a study indicating the state of the art of marine aquaculture, the research and development status (including assets and constraints) and the needs for research and development (including possible co-operation with other countries in the area).
Workshop (1 week) to be held at UWI:
tropical aquaculture: the experience of South East Asia and Oceania.
Preparation and publication of the proceedings of the workshop.
Establishment of a follow-up committee for the co-ordination of concerted actions in marine aquaculture research and development among Carribean countries.
9. Approximate budget (including administrative overhead)
Administrative support, conference facilities in kind
| Consultants | 13,000 US$ |
| National papers | 5,000 US$ |
| Travel and per diem | 49,000 US$ |
| Miscellaneous (copies, reports, slides, videos,.....) | 10,000 US$ |
| Sundries | 7,700 US$ |
| Total | 84,700 US$ |
Diversification & regional co-operation in fish farming
1. Project title: “Assessment of the potential of local marine species for marine cage farming”
2. Locations: UWI and selected coastal locations, other Caribbean research stations
3. Duration: 5 years
4. Counterpart organisations: FD, UWI, other Caribbean government and research institutions
5. Indicative budget: to be estimated in a regional project context
Government contribution
Donor contribution
6. Objectives:
Development
to initiate marine cage finfish culture with new local species.
Immediate
7. Justification and background
In the Caribbean, new marine fish species are needed for aquaculture aimed at four contexts:
Therefore, screening of new species in the Caribbean should be undertaken on a regional basis. Jamaica belongs to the first group of countries, and even if not exclusive, the productivity and low costs aspects should be particularily stressed. In that prospect, the use of Tilapia in brackish and marine environments also has to be studied (possibly in connection with a regional research project in the building phase in Martinique).
8. Activities
Acquisition of basic data for estimating the availability of naturally produced fry to be captured for aquaculture operations: species, characteristics, quantities, (18 months).
exhaustive updating of the bibliography covering all aquaculture experiments in the area (biology, rearing trials) and study of the local markets (in connection with projects 2 and 3) for the cross selection of 3-4 candidate species.
repeated experimental fishing for juveniles on three selected sites (weekly over 18 months), the fish being released after taxonomy, counting and measurement.
if the abundance is estimated as interesting, some juveniles should be trucked to a stocking station to be put in cages and adapted to pelleted feed for later experiments.
Improvement of the research facilities at Port Royal, through the results of PROJECT PROFILE 3:
sanitary monitoring and control of the stocks.
Evaluation of the rearing potential (reactions to captivity, handling and acceptance of dry pellets)of the juveniles of the three candidate species collected from the wild, plus Tilapia. Search for primary indications about gross nutritional requirements (12–18 months).
Assessment of the possibilities of rearing wild caught fry from marine species and Tilapia in small floating net cages and definition of gross rearing standards to be used during the next steps (18 months)
conservation of broodstocks for an eventual development of the programme through hatchery production techniques.
Confirmation of the previous results and tests on a larger scale (18 months) - pilot rearing phase in 4×50m3 cages.
Synthesis of the information collected through the project, search for interested operators.
9. Provisional Budget:
The proposal presented here should be part of a regional project, and therefore is not budgeted in details, which should be defined later, after discussion with Jamaican authorities and integration in a regional project for the Caribbean, with associate research partnership.
1. Project title: “Education and training in aquaculture in Jamaica”
2. Locations: University of West Indies, Kingston (UWI), selected research laboratories
3. Duration: 3 months
4. Counterpart organisations: UWI, SRC, FD
5. Indicative budget: US$ 61,600
Government contribution in kind
Donor contribution US$ 61,600
6. Objectives:
Development
to build up local expertise in marine aquaculture.
Immediate
7. Justification and background:
Marine aquaculture is an important axis to be developed for improving local fish supply in Jamaica. But, no
marine aquaculture exists for the time being. This could include molluscs, seaweeds or crustaceans aquaculture,
but also marine cage culture of fish.
On the other hand, Jamaica has local capabilities in freshwater aquaculture, which could quickly become, if
properly trained, in marine aquaculture. Therefore, this multi-level training project is designed to improve local
capabilities through short training sessions, study the needs in research facilities, and provide a longer term
action through high-level education.
8. Activities:
Short training courses in marine finfish aquaculture in a specialized research station in the area (10 days), for selected UWI, FD and SRC staff.
Full explanation and hands-on training with all the tools and technologies permitting to establish trails in the rearing of marine fish in cages: cage structure, building and handling, changing nets, feeding fish, collecting, mortalities, etc…
Analysis of how the techniques may be adapted to Jamaican conditions by the trainees themselves.
Joint preparation of a manual presenting in detail the different stages of trials programme at a practical level, allowing a rapid start of the first tests.
Organisation of a specific session on marine aquaculture (possibly at UWI) for UWI staff, Jamaican experts in aquaculture and potential sea farming operators (4 days + 2 days site visits).:
Preparation of a set of documents, video, slides to be used during the session, and for further use by UWI staff.
Using this support, lectures and debates on the following issues :
present status of finfish aquaculture in the world,
strategies for development,
present status of specialized research,
tropical finfish aquaculture,
adaptation to the context of the Carribean area.
Evaluation of the needs for high level education in marine aquaculture, evaluation of cost and search for funding.
Evaluation of the needs for experimental facilities in Port Royal:
mission to Port Royal of experts for the design of state-of-the-art equipment and plant, according to the existing research needs (as defined through projects 2,3,4)
budget and time schedules estimation, search for funding for experimental facilities.
9. Approximate budget (including administrative overhead)
| Consultants (40 p/d) | 13,500 US$ |
| Travel and per diem | 37,000 US$ |
| Miscellaneous (copies, reports, photo, video,...) | 5,500 US$ |
| Sundries (10%) | 5,600 US$ |
| Total | 61,600 US$ |
