The presentation was part of the Brussels Development Briefing on the topic of fish-farming, organized by the Technical Centre for Agriculture (CTA), the European Commission, and the African, Carribean, and Pacific (ACP) Secretariat on 3rd of July 2013 in Brussels. More on: http://brusselsbriefings.net/

1. Brussels Development Briefing n.32
Fish-farming the new driver of the blue
economy?
3rd July 2013
http://brusselsbriefings.net
Opportunities for aquaculture development in
the Caribbean ACP states.
Milton Haughton, CRFM

2. Opportunities for aquaculture
development in the Caribbean
ACP States
Milton Haughton
Executive Director
CRFM Secretariat
Belize

3. Source: CLME project doc

4. Background
 CARIFORUM Countries = SIDs
 Reliance on aquatic resources for
livelihood and food security
 Threats – climate change, marine pollution,
habitat degradation, over-fishing,
 High unemployment (14-15%)
 High Food import bill
 Strategic location between major
international markets

5. Caribbean
ACP States
Area (km2) Population
(2012) (000)
Pop Density
(/km2)
GDP/Capita
(US$)
Per Capita Fish
Consumption
Antigua 443 88 198.6 13,429 77
Bahamas 13,940 352 25.2 22,832 32
Barbados 431 278 645.0 16,152 31
Belize 22,966 343 14.9 4,536 7
Dominica 750 71 94.7 7,022 19
Dominican
Republic
48,730 10,237 210.1 5,763
Grenada 344 105 305.2 7,497 31
Guyana 214,970 775 3.6 3,596 29
Haiti 27,750 10,413 375.2 759 3
Jamaica 10,991 2,752 250.4 5,541 16
St. Kitts 360 57 158.3 12,804 34
St. Lucia 616 168 272.7 7,276 21
St. Vincent 340 110 323.5 6,489 13
Suriname 163,820 546 3.3 8,686 10
Trinidad 5,128 1,329 259.2 19,018 15

6. Fisheries Strategically Important
1. Employment: up to 182,000
2. Total Fish Production 176,213 MT
3. Aquaculture production – 11,000 MT
4. Exports: 61,000 MT (~US$250 million)
5. Imports: 117,000 MT (~ US$343 million)
6. Livelihood Opportunities
- poor,
- vulnerable
7. Food and nutrition security

7. Fish Imports (MT)
Year 2006 2007 2008 2009
Quantity 112,198 123,122 116,312 117,252
Value
(US$ 000)
270,594 302,593 346,718 343,098
Overall Food Import bill
CARIFORUM States:
• US$ 4.75 billion/yr
• Can aquaculture
help?
Dom Rep 42,473
Jamaica 27,438
Haiti 13,535
Trinidad 8,877

8. PROCESSING
- Subsector
Employment
opportunity
for women
Guyana
Belize
Photo – Courtesy
Fisheries Dept, Belize

9. Aquaculture has the
potential to make
greater contribution
to economic & social
development if
appropriate policy
frameworks and
incentives are provided
Shrimp farm in Belize
Gov Jamaica - Aquaculture
Research Station
Tilapia Belize
Photo Courtesy of Fisheries Dept. Belize

10. Current State of Aquaculture
Development
• Not well developed - Low production
• 14,146 MT per year from 2000 -2010
• Belize and Jamaica exception
• Production peaked at 18,879 MT in 2004
• Declined since 2007 to < 10,000 MT
• Recent trend – economic downturn
Sea moss
commodities
produced
in Antigua.
Photo – Courtesy
Fisheries Div. Antigua &
Barbuda

11. Aquaculture Production
CARIFORUM States 2000-2011 (MT)
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
20000
2000 2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Source: FAO database

12. Aquaculture Production Per
Country MT (2000-2011)
101 20
71044
256
17089
4
5911
1641
52123
1 36
2035
115
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
Source: FAO database

13. Main Producers – MT (2009)
Belize 5290
Jamaica 5141
Dominican
Republic
240
Guyana 511
Haiti 400
Suriname 41

14. What are the Main Species?
Belize
Marine shrimp (L. vamamaei), Tilapia
, Cobia (Rachycentrom canadum)
(Pompano)
Jamaica Tilapia, marine & freshwater shrimp,
oysters, several aquarium spp.
Dominican
Republic
Marine & freshwater shrimp, Carp,
Tilapia, (Colossoma, Cobia, Pompano)
Guyana
Tilapia, Colossoma, various indigenous
shrimp (schmitti, P. aztecus & P.
braziliensis) & fish (hassar, bashaw)
Haiti Tilapia, carp

15. Seaweed farming Antigua:
Photo Courtesy of Fisheries Div. Antigua
Cobia farming Belize:
Photo Courtesy of Fisheries Dept. Belize
Aquarium Fish farming JamaicaTilapia Belize

16. What about smaller Islands?
• Current activities – tilapia, seaweed, shrimp
• Limitations – land, fresh water, human
• Outlook
Tilapia farming in
seawater – St. Kitts
Seaweed farming in
St. Lucia
Cobia farming in
seawater

17. What are the Main Constraints?
 High input cost (energy, feed, land …)
 High cost of credit
 Seed supply
 Competition from imports from Asia & S. America
 Health and Food Safety Systems
 R & D, Extension & Support Services
 Lack of Skilled & Quality Human Resources
 Natural disaster – storms & hurricanes
 Water management systems
 Policy and legislation

18. Are States still Interested?
 Contribute to economic development
 Create employment opportunities
throughout the value chain
 Increase local supply of fish
 Improve food & nutrition security
 Poverty reduction
 Revitalize coastal & rural communities
 Diversify economy & build resilience
 Earn hard currency - export-oriented

19. Where do we go from here:
Regional Policy Framework
Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas - CARICOM
Single Market & Economy (CSME):
• Entered in force 1 Jan 2006
• Enlarged market among member states
• Opportunities to produce & sell goods
& services & attract investment
Photo Courtesy of Fisheries Dept. Belize

20. Caribbean Community Common
Fisheries Policy
 Treaty - Endorsed 2011
 Key Provisions
 Objective & Scope “sustainable development
of fishing and aquaculture” . ..“production,
processing, marketing and trading of fishery
and aquaculture products”
 Several substantive provisions aquaculture
 Art. 10 Sector Development
 Joint venture, capacity development,
 improving the business, financial and insurance
environment

21. CRFM Strategic Plan 2013 -2021
Objective D: Development of Aquaculture
 Note lack of growth past 10 years & agree to
intensify efforts to expand production
 A strategy to increase supply of fish
 Adopt Ecosystem approach to aquaculture
 Establish Regional Working Group
 Enabling policy and legal frameworks
 Voluntary guidelines, best management
practices and standards

22. National Policy – ACP Fish II
 CAR-3.1-B12: Strategic assessment of the
aquaculture potential in Haiti
 CAR-1.4-B4a: aquaculture land and water use
development plan for Jamaica
 CAR-1.4-B4b: Aquaculture development strategy
for St. Kitts and Nevis
 Fisheries and aquaculture policy Dominica
Grenada, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines
 Support to formulate a fisheries and aquaculture
policy for the Dominican Republic

23. Recent Donor Supported
Initiatives
 ACP Fish II Programme – Component 1 –
policy and legislation
 JICA Master Plan for Coastal Resource
Management
 USAID, and FAO Support to Guyana
 Tiawanese support to St.Lucia, Dominica
and Belize

24. CONCLUSION
 Significant opportunities in the Caribbean
 Growing interest in aquaculture
 Important role in food security, poverty
reduction, employment, & blue economy
 Realistic dialogue – recognize:
- Needs, opportunities, limitations
- Dangers of unregulated, poorly planned
 Need for R&D, capacity development,
strategic partnerships & funding support

25. Thank you!!