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>> Download PDF of this Press Release September 12, 2006 The National Aquaculture Association of Guyana and Guyana Trade and Investment Support Report Successes from the Seventh International Symposium on Tilapia Aquaculture GEORGETOWN— Representatives from The National Aquaculture Association of Guyana (NAAG) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) have high hopes for the future of aquaculture in Guyana after returning from the Seventh International Symposium on Tilapia Aquaculture (ISTA) in Veracruz, Mexico. The ISTA served as a gathering place for tilapia biologists, researchers, industry suppliers, farmers, and seafood marketers from around the world. Representatives from Guyana included Tejnarine S. Geer, Senior Fisheries Officer, Department of Fisheries; Chandradat Carpen, East Coast Aquaculture; Chion Profitt, Investment Officer, Guyana Office for Investment; Joycelyn Williams, GTIS Trade Policy and Outreach Manager; and Kirk Smock, GTIS Public Affairs Specialist. Speaking from a researcher’s point of view, Mr. Geer says the trip was very successful. Several discussions were held with the Technical Director of Fishgen, a company that produces supermale tilapias. Supermales are a special breed of tilapia with two YY chromosomes, virtually guaranteeing the preferred male offspring. The cutting edge company has offered the NAAG technical and managerial assistance as Guyana’s aquaculture sector grows. Mr. Geer was also excited to learn of new breeds of tilapia that are better suited for different types of polyculture, a form of agriculture using multiple crops in the same space. Whether it’s growing tilapia and rice or tilapia and tomatoes, polyculture is becoming very popular within aquaculture. The team learned of a breed of tilapia that is well suited to deal with the conditions of sharing ponds with shrimp, a profitable form of polyculture, which Mr. Carpen is currently considering exploring on his aquaculture farm in Berbice. Mr. Carpen made connections with private sector tilapia farmers located in Mexico. After hearing about Guyana’s ideal weather conditions, affordable labor, plethora of fresh water, and expanse of open land, the farmers expressed a great interest in visiting Guyana sometime next year, with a possibility of investing. Speaking from the investor’s point of view, Mr. Profitt reported that he was pleased to learn of a growing and favorable market in the UK as well as Guyana’s natural competitive advantages. In Mexico, the team toured four farms that operate under fairly intensive systems. Because of sandy soil, cement ponds and holding tanks are built aboveground, creating expensive start-up costs. And because of limited fresh water supplies, the farms also have high electricity costs due to the large number of electric pumps needed to circulate the water. In Guyana, the soil is perfect for creating fishponds directly in the ground, and in many places the tidal gravity and abundance of fresh water allows water re-circulation without extensive pump systems. All reported that the ISTA provided a good opportunity to expose Guyana to the international aquaculture industry. The exposure promises to increase with two invitations that were extended to the NAAG for research papers on Guyana, one to be presented at next year’s World Aquaculture Society conference and another, which will appear in a leading industry magazine. While touring the farms in Veracruz, Mr. Profitt noted that, “We have better than this in Guyana, and it occurs naturally.” The entire team agreed and decided that it's time for Guyana to start utilizing its resources and begin producing more tilapia. The market demand for the “aquatic chicken” is strong and the next step for the NAAG, with the assistance of USAID/GTIS, is to ramp up existing aquaculture farms in Guyana with hopes that the first export shipment is not far off.
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