Jamaica’s hard-working, small-scale (artisanal) fishermen and women have been the backbone of so many communities across the island, including quite a number in my own Southwest St Elizabeth. They have utilised the sector to build homes, communities, and to provide for their families.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Jamaica has one of the highest levels of fish consumption per capita in the Americas (25.8 kg/year in 2017), with over 79 per cent of our consumption needs filled by importation. This presents a clear opportunity.
It is estimated that the global seaweed market will reach US$92 billion by 2025, at an average yearly growth rate of seven per cent. In order for us to take advantage of this opportunity, though, we have to move from wild harvesting to structured cultivation. There are a number of sites on our south and north coasts that are conducive for the wide-scale growing of sea moss. Again, this could be a major area of diversification for our fishing villages.
Read more:
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20220112/floyd-green-year-artisanal-fisheries-and-aquaculture