To understand what is needed to ensure a successful national aquaculture industry, it is necessary to look at other nations' steps to securing their industry, as reported by Asia Aquaculture.

In India, shrimp aquaculture has passed through three distinct phases:

1. The 'rising phase' from the late 1980s to 1995, wherein a sense of competitiveness prevailed among the farmers in a given locality. The farmers maintained 'utmost secrecy' in all farm operations to produce more shrimp and make huge profits in just about four months of growth.

2. The 'falling phase' (1995-2001) witnessed the emergence of virulent viral diseases, particularly the 'white spot syndrome virus' (WSSV), which reduced the shrimp aquaculture industry to chaos, mainly due to greed for high production, 'self-pollution' due to poor farm management and lack of experience and cooperation among the shrimp farmers. Nevertheless, as a blessing in disguise, this disaster made shrimp farming a more mature and responsible farming regime, despite colossal losses and legal interventions at the time.

3. The 'sustainable phase' (since 2002), facilitated with interventions from research and development institutions, encouraged farmers to be open to their fellow farmers and to understand that one's success was dependent on one's neighbour's.

This realisation led to the formation of cluster-based farmer groups to enforce certain codes of practice collectively adopted by the farmers. Furthermore, market forces (price and food safety), anti-shrimp farming campaigns, legal and other socio-economic threats strongly contributed to the development of a group approach in shrimp farm clusters.

Responsible, sustainable aquaculture

Experience has amply shown that farmer groups can ensure responsible and sustainable aquaculture development, empower farmers through collective decision making, offer opportunities to link with markets, improve social, environmental and food safety responsibility, facilitate delivery of farm extension services and contribute to the long-term sustainability of shrimp farming.

This example simply shows that if Jamaica plans to become a force in the aquaculture farming business - namely, shrimp farming, salt water grouper inland production, tilapia or ornamental fish - it has to be a group effort to secure our niche market.

At the ministerial level, ensuring a viable sector; the financing entities, understanding the needs of the farmers and making progressive loans; the farmers as a group or entity, e.g., JOFFA (Jamaica Ornamental Fish Farmers Association), with knowledgeable local technical experts, including the utilisation of the Scientific Research Council and specialised overseas technical experts (if necessary), working effectively to secure markets locally and overseas. Jamaica can ill-afford not to have an effective aquaculture culture industry to feed our nation and secure lucrative overseas markets to contribute to our economic growth.

I am, etc.,

KARL VON CORK

karlvonco@yahoo.com

Mandeville

Jamaica