THE Government is moving to increase the production of tilapia with an investment of $574 million for the construction of a hatchery in Twickenham Park, St Catherine.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony last Thursday, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green said there is a “tremendous demand” for the fish on the island but due to limited production, “a vast amount” of what is consumed is imported.

“It is a very crucial project that will help Jamaica achieve food security. We are always seeking to find new innovative and sustainable ways to strengthen the sector, and aquaculture has been identified as a vehicle that will drive production and diversification,” the minister told his audience.

The project is funded partly by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), with support from the World Bank.

Minister Green underscored that Jamaica once exported freshwater fish, and the country should return to that position, while noting that “this project will make that possible”.

“The outcome of this effort is the overall improvement of the infrastructure, which is associated with seedstock, and other operational activities for the Aquaculture Division,” he said, adding that currently, Jamaica is producing 500,000 (or 35 per cent) of the advanced fry and fingerlings annually.

Green said it is expected that the hatchery will produce up to five million advanced fry annually, which will result in “significant increases” in the reliable production of advanced tilapia fry, which in turn will give farmers better access to superior tilapia seedstock.

He noted that a significant part of the project is dedicated to providing hatchery operators with training in the management and operation of both the facility and Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) technology.

“Other notable outcomes from this project include the revitalisation of unused ponds and new entrants to the industry, an increase in economic activity and employment in the aquaculture sector, and the promotion of tilapia value-addition and processing, due to the anticipated increased production,” Green said.

The project has a climate-smart component, which will enable the mitigation of environmental issues through features such as reduced water usage, off-the-grid solar system, and a rainwater harvesting system.

The project’s biosecure nature will also ensure that there is total control over the condition of the fish, including adverse environmental occurrences like diseases and severe weather, thereby improving the quality of fish produced.

– JIS