Climate-resilient Aquaculture Hatchery to Double Fry Supply of NFA

The planned construction of a climate-resilient aquaculture hatchery is expected to more than double the fry supply of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA). 

This was disclosed by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., during a Stakeholders’ Validation Meeting for the undertaking, on March 2.  

“The type of innovation and the modernisation that comes from the building of this hatchery will permit us to meet most of the demand. We are now under two million fry, and this will push us to five million,” he said. 

 Construction of the hatchery at Twickenham Park in St. Catherine, forms part of Component three of the Promoting Community-Based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector project that is being executed by the Ministry, through the NFA.  

The project is aimed at increasing the adoption of climate-resilient practices among targeted fishing and fish-farming communities in Jamaica and has been given an allocation of $313 million for the 2023/24 fiscal year.  

Mr. Charles Jr. said that the hatchery is a “sound investment” for the country, while thanking the partners for identifying Jamaica as a suitable stakeholder.  

He encouraged all involved in the process of construction to “make sure that it represents and reflects the excellence that we seek to achieve and that there’s an understanding that our ultimate goal must be to make sure that we build resilience and that whatever we are doing is sustainable”. 

The Promoting Community-Based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector Project began in December 2015.  

Up to December 2022, the physical achievements of the project included the purchasing of vessel and vehicles for enforcement purposes, the completion of aquaculture value chain assessment, and the completion of final drawings for the climate-resilient hatchery. The latter was submitted to the Municipal Corporation for approval.  

Anticipated physical targets for the upcoming fiscal year include the signing of a land lease contract to facilitate rehabilitation and development works at Bowden Mariculture Demonstration Facility, and the procurement of equipment for implementation of the Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS). 

Other targets are the development of a web page for awareness and behaviour change campaign, the development of a fisheries information management system, and the implementation of subprojects. 

The project is being co-funded by the Government of Jamaica and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).