Recommendations/Guidelines for Aquaculture Development in Small Island States with Special Reference to St. Lucia, W.I

Over the last ten years, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment in the island of St. Lucia, as part of its efforts at agricultural diversification, has explored the feasibility of developing locally, freshwater aquaculture of fish and shrimp. Special attention has been focused on determining the biological, social as well as economic variables that are likely to impact on the viability of the industry. It was found that key influences on aquaculture development in the island were farmer management approaches, costs of inputs, and competition from products of capture fisheries. In response to these influences, intensive extension programmes to enhance farmer management skills were initiated, so also were the recycling of local raw materials for feed development, the creation of specific markets for the aquaculture products and the employment of environmentally friendly fanning practices to ensure sustainability. The results of these exercises have permitted an assessment to be made of the potential of small island states such as St. Lucia to establish viable aquaculture enterprises.