Freshwater Aquaculture Production

Tilapia, namely Oreochromisniloticus and O. mossambicus, the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachiumrosenbergii and Seamoss, mainly Kappaphycusalvarezii and Euchemacotinnii are the three types of organisms commercially grown in the aquaculture industry in Saint Lucia. Animal seafood production is primarily through growth in earthen ponds operated through manual inputs; however, there is budding interest in intensive aquaculture systems as well as aquaponic systems. Currently, there are six individuals’ operating systems of various complexity on the island. The Department of Fisheries operates a small demonstration system at its office in Point Seraphine since January 2015. The system is open to the public and lettuce, Kale, and Basil has been produced. In response to the growing interest in aquaponics two officers from the Department and two from the Ministry’s Engineering Unit have attended short courses in aquaponics regionally to improve assistance to these farmers and enhance technology transfer.

Fish and shrimp are fed processed and farm made feeds. Substitute processed feeds are available locally but nutritionally complete feeds and suitable feed for intensive culture systems have to be imported as such are more expensive than local substitutes.

Two pond systems are in operation on the island. Earth ponds that range in size from 500 square meters to 2000 square meters and above ground BRC reinforced plastic 3000 gallon tanks. The prawn monoculture stocking rate is 10 prawn post-larvae per square meter.  The tilapia monoculture stocking is Tilapia fry per square meter.  For polyculture of both, with initial stocking of prawn post larvae, the stocking rate is 10 prawn post-larvae per square meter, and after 3 months of stocking tilapia fry, the stocking rate is 1 fry per 20 square meters. The hatchery produces 80,000 tilapia fish-fry and 1,000,000 post larvae annually to meet demand. The industry is supported by the national hatchery that meets the 80 registered farmers demand to support 18 ha of pond production area (2016).

Farmed fish production increased from 3.5 tons in 2010 to 15 tons in 2016, whilst shrimp production increased from 2 tons in 2010 to 12 tons in 2016 (Figure 3) driven by the construction and operations of the national hatchery with a supported expansion of the industry.