The recent delivery of 250 breeding sets of supermale tilapias from the United Kingdom is expected to provide the boost the National Aquaculture Association of Guyana (NAAG) needs to make aquaculture the leading economic sector in Guyana by 2015.
A press release from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) project, which supports the NAAG, said supermales are a special breed of tilapia with two YY chromosomes, virtually guaranteeing the preferred male offspring. The recipients are the Von Better Aquaculture, East Coast Aquaculture and the Fort Island Aquaculture. The offspring of this supermale shipment will be the first set of tilapia exported from Guyana.
Additionally, the release said, USIAD/GTIS representatives as well as government representatives are attending this week’s World Aquaculture Society (WAS) conference in San Antonio, Texas. The WAS conference focuses on sustainable aquaculture practices throughout the world and will feature aquaculture professionals and scientists presenting lectures on specific industry topics such as the technical aspects of production, biology, ecology, species and growing regions of the world including the Caribbean and Latin America. Some of the topics up for discussion are the GTIS market-led approach, public/private sector partnerships and rice and fish projects in Guyana.
The release said the meeting will also include a trade show with exhibits representing all aspects of the aquaculture industry, including producers, suppliers, seafood marketers and members of the press. Local delegates will meet investors, scientists, researchers and industry suppliers in order to further establish Guyana as a prime location for aquaculture and obtain assistance in doing so.
The NAAG members represent all industry stakeholders: farmers, entrepreneurs, feed producers, members of the government (research and development) and non-governmental organisations. The association’s overall objective is to increase the production of tilapia to begin exporting this year. A recently completed feasibility and marketing study showed that Guyana has good potential for large-scale, profitable, export oriented aquaculture. The NAAG is building on those results (in addition to the knowledge that imports of tilapia to the North America market have increased ten-fold over the last ten years, making tilapia the sixth highest consumed aquatic product in the USA) as it aims to meet its 2015 goal.
The release said the WAS, which was funded in 1970, is a non-profit society with more than 3000 members in 94 countries. The conference is hosted every three years and attracts 3,500 attendees from more than 70 countries. This year’s session opened yesterday and ends on Friday.
