Stephanie H. – Aquaponics training in the USVI

UVI Aquaponics System

Yeppers I am back in Jamaica. From where? The University of the Virgin Islands in St. Croix where I took a short course on International Aquaponics and Tilapia Aquaculture.

I want to begin with an explanation for taking the course. I am not going to lie it was a nice break from the day-to-day life in Jamaica. However, the reasoning behind taking the course is far more extensive than going on vacation. Going back a little bit I am a PCV assigned to the Jamaica 4H Clubs. During my initial months on island I was situated in Christiana, Manchester. Trying to keep busy I began to conduct trainings with a counterpart in environmentally-friendly, income generating agricultural practices. One school in particular was Holmwood Technical High School. Here I met the 4H Leader Mr. Graham who was bound and determined to raise fish, in particular Tilapia. You know how some say, “It’s all in who you know” – well a friend of mine, Donnie Bunting, owns the Longville Park Tilapia Farm in Freetown, Clarendon. While exchanging information between the three of us I began to do a little background research and came upon Aquaponics. Many may not know that Manchester is the only parish in Jamaica with out a water source (river, lake, stream, etc). Aquaponics is an integrated aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponic (growing soilless plants) system. First, the waste from fish tanks is pumped to a section of the system to be treated with a natural bacteria that converts the waste–which is largely ammonia–first to nitrite and then to nitrate. At that point, the fish waste is in a state that can be used to feed the plants. The fish wastewater is then pumped to a media bed or other hydroponic system to be used as nutrient solution by the growing plants. After I began discussing my findings with Holmwood Technical High other colleagues I came in contact with the owner of a Romaine Hydroponics Farm just outside of Spur Tree, Manchester. I held a brief meeting with representatives from the Tilapia farm, the hydroponics farm, the National School Garden Initiative, the Jamaica 4H Clubs, and local Member of Parliament (MP). After the meeting we were able to tour the Romaine Hydroponics Farm. I heard word from a friend of two complete commercial fish tanks he was trying to get rid of. Of course I jumped at the offer and with a US$2,000.00 SPA grant purchased one of the two tanks. As novices in the field we worked together to develop a proposal to send into the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ). This proposal included a Technology Park for the Denbigh 4H Training Centre with small animal husbandry exhibits, aquaponics display, seedling nursery, bio-diesel display, grey water exhibit, proper composting techniques and a comparison of organic vs. inorganic farming methods. If all else fails we will break down the project and propose it to the Partnership Program. I came upon this course through an employee at the Longville Park Farm who had taken the course in 2003 and was willing to provide expertise towards the Holmwood Technical High Project. He was able to get us in contact with a professor from UVI who provided additional technical assistance for free. He suggested taking the course in June. The staff of Holmwood Technical High and I decided to begin with the rearing tanks and implement hydroponics aspects after we had a better understanding of the Re-circulating Aquaponics System. I decided to submit a Discretionary Grant to EFJ to fund the course. After over two months of waiting for a reply I contacted EFJ only to hear that the proposal was mixed in with the regular grants and had to be reviewed still. Through constant reminders I finally received an answer less than three weeks before the start of the course, “Sorry but we are unable to fund your proposal at this time.” Rather than give up and given I called back for an explanation and rebutted every excuse. After the conversation I was asked to send a letter to EFJ with my concerns so that the proposal could be reviewed again.

Through a very creative and determined manner I was able to get the entire course funded!

The course allowed me to gain knowledge and hands on experience in the areas of Aquaponics and Biofloc systems. Below is a brief overview of the course :

• Introduction and Global Overview • Water Quality & Water Quality Lab • Tilapia Biology • Tilapia dissection • Development of the UVI System • Breeding • Fingerling Production • Stock & Brood Fish Hapas & Collect Eggs • Fish Harvest & Fingerling Stocking • Lettuce Harvest and Transplanting/ Harvesting of Other Crops • Plant Requirements and Potential Crops • Plant Production • Tilapia Nutrition & Feeding • Aquaponics in Australia • Fish Disease & Treatment • Business Plan • Construction Materials & Techniques • Cleaning Nets, Counting Fry, Preparing Rafts, & Greenhouse Tasks • Other Aquaponic Systems • Processing & Marketing • Biofloc Systems • Plant Pests, Disease & Treatment • Breeding in Nam Sai Farm

During the course I was able to meet persons from all walks of life. I was able to meet persons from Australia and various parts of the United States. There were persons from Honduras, Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Trinidad and Tobago, among other places. All having at least one thing in common – a love for Aquaponics. Through the course and others experiences I gained a wealth of knowledge. Additionally, the climate at St. Croix is very much similar to that of Jamaica so the system at UVI could quite easily be replicated in Jamaica. I hope to use the completed projects at Holmwood Technical High and the Denbigh 4H Training Center as training bases.

I am in the process of summing all of this information into a one day seminar that I w ill deliver at various universities and interested organizations across the country. The presentation can be curtailed to meet the needs of the audience. This information will also aid in the implementation of an Aquaponics Farm at Holmwood Technical High in the parish of Manchester.