Jamaica Achieves First Marine Cage Culture Fish Harvest

Jamaica has achieved a major milestone in aquaculture with the successful harvest of more than 5,000 pounds of red drum fish through marine cage culture, marking the first venture of its kind in the country.

The harvest, which took place on Thursday (October 8) at the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard Operational Base in Bowden, St. Thomas, was led by teams from the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and the JDF.

His Majesty Jamaica’s Ship (HMJS) Marcus Garvey, one of the JDF’s offshore patrol vessels, was utilised during the harvest operation.

The vessel’s heavy-duty crane was used to lift the cages containing the red drum, after which the NFA transported the harvested fish ashore for sorting, weighing and distribution to consumers.

Red drum is a commercially valuable marine fish species that has been successfully cultured in other parts of the world.

Its favourable growth characteristics and strong market potential have made it a species of interest for further exploration and development in Jamaica.

The Red Drum Project was a seven-month initiative that involved rearing the species in offshore cages within a controlled aquaculture environment ahead of Thursday’s harvest.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, who witnessed the historic harvest, said the NFA partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to introduce marine cage culture to the region, enabling the cultivation of marine fish species in cages located offshore.

“This is all about our food security… [about] how we can ensure that our fishers get more return on their investment. This is the way to go,” he added.

Minister Green said the initiative was a pilot project designed to assess the viability of marine cage culture in Jamaica, noting that the data generated would help determine the feasibility of future commercial production and investment.

He explained that the harvest marked an important step in proving the concept, with red drum chosen as one of the tropical fish species for the trial.

“We’re also thinking about red snapper… but this is just the start. This is about the future of our fisheries sector. This is about ensuring that our fishermen and women do better. This is really about the new FACE of food,” Mr. Green outlined.

Meanwhile, the Minister thanked B&D Trawling Limited, the first purchaser of quantities of the newly harvested red drum, for its support of the initiative since the project’s inception.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of B&D Trawling Limited, Roderick Francis, told JIS News that the company’s support for the project stems from the important role it can play in bolstering Jamaica’s food security and reducing the country’s reliance on imported fish.

“We need to be producing our own food and be less dependent on outside sources and outside factors. The red drum is a very popular species that is used in cage aquaculture. It’s actually very similar to a naturally occurring fish in our oceans here in Jamaica… people call it drummer. I’ve tasted the fish… and it’s quite fantastic,” he further stated.

With the product being new to the Jamaican market, Mr. Francis said his company plans to introduce the fish in a variety of forms to gauge consumer preferences and determine which offerings resonate most with local buyers.

“So we’re going to fillet some, [offer] some as sliced fish, and sell some whole. Our hope is that the market will respond favourably to this fish, because it’s ocean-fresh. It’s not [reared] in a pond… . You get it in a natural environment… [directly] from seawater,” the CEO explained.

Meanwhile, Acting CEO of the NFA, Dr. Zahra Oliphant, said the fish were fed high-quality feed throughout the cultivation period, describing the project as a success.

She emphasised that the possibilities for Jamaica’s aquaculture sector are virtually limitless.

“We have an entire coastline… we have a lot of sea space… the potentials are endless. Now we can grow red snapper in cages, we can grow red drum, we can grow any species of marine fish in a cage, in a controlled environment. This pilot has been an enormous success and we are very happy that the public is now getting the information,” Dr. Oliphant said.