The interest for the development of aquaculture in Haiti was highlighted during a tour of the Haitian authorities with the Ambassador of Cuba Ricardo García Nápoles of several lakes in the region of Les Cayes, in the Department of South.

Clark Chevallier, Advisor to the Prime Minister on matters of cooperation, was also accompanied by Ernesto Veloz Atencio, the Chief of the Cuban brigade of aquaculture, which provided detailed information on the characteristics of the lakes visited and the possibility of seeding of fry appropriate in each case.

ave also participated in this tour, covering the visit of four lakes in the city of Les Cayes, Port Salut and Les Anglais, the Haitian biologist Edouard Saint, Jean Vilmond Hilaire, the Delegate of the Minister of the Environment, and the Deputy Johnson Dieujuste lso President of the Committee on Agriculture and the Environment.

Since 1999, the Cuban brigade of aquaculture provides services in Haiti and has worked on three hatcheries. Today, only the station of Pond Sondé is in operation. There is an interest of the Government to develop fisheries in all departments of the country by the seeding of fry of species such as tilapia and cyprinids, which would address the food needs of the most vulnerable sectors of the Haitian people.

Learn more about aquaculture in Haiti :

Haiti has 21,000 hectares of water bodies. Lake Azuei [brackish pond] constitutes more than half of this area with 11.500 hectares. The Lake Azuei has a fish harvesting capacity of 2,000 metric tons of fish but the volume does not exceed 50 tons per year now due to a low level of stocking. Haiti consumes annually 17.000 metric tons of fish but produces only 5,000 tons. The annual importation of 12,000 tonnes of fish is estimated at around 10 million U.S. dollars.

HL/ HaitiLibre