ORNAMENTAL FISH KEEPING IN JAMAICA

 

Ornamental fish keeping in Jamaica

 

Jamaica is the home to several ornamental fish. Some of which are kept in several regions as pets. I have visited my local rivers and have seen Jaguar cichlids, called dog teeth, Goby fish, mosquito fish, guppies, mollies, fire mouth and other fish species I have no idea of their actual names. A few fish keeping enthusiast like myself has taken the initiative to catch and keep some of these list fish species as pets and in some cases have breed and sold some to local pet-shops.  The current ornamental fish trade in Jamaica is considered either un organized or top secret to all whom are looking on as a willing participant within this internationally lucrative potential economical enterprise.

Many small ornamental fish keepers do exist in Jamaica. Most have entered into the trade first as a hobby and have expanded their network as a business as time progresses. To me several potentials exits for this enterprise to be streamline against even the top foreign exchange earners in Jamaica. Ornamental fish keeping has the potential of earning billions in income for the domestic participants. So does it seems so impossible to get into this enterprise.  Today, most  If not all players within the ornamental fish market focused on trading overseas are heavy weights. These heavy weights have invested millions into their effort and have had several policy decisions made in their favour, making new entrants to the market very difficult.

So as to minimize the competition and the earning power within the ornamental fish keeping industry in Jamaica, bureaucratic red tape frustrates the new comer making the dream of becoming an entrepreneur in the ornamental fish keeping industry  in Jamaica just a piped dream.  I would be willing to invest into this dream. I would be willing to seek funding and training and establish a well organized ornamental fish farm in Jamaica, however the requirements seems so over bearing.

The importation of stock (ornamental fish) from overseas seems also to be tardy and callous. How can one seek a license for importing ornamental livestock only to be told after the paper work is completed that, this license last only for a few months and the renewal will require the completion of the entire process  again. This along with other issues is of grave concern to persons like me seeking to be engineers of their/ our own income generating ideas.

A noticeable trend which keeps popping up throughout Jamaica, is the training of young people to be apart of the ornamental fish keeping trade. Not that these trainings are good, but these training are centered purely around persons whom are within a set geographical as well as economical and social sphere of life. I believe whilst this thrust is good and a positive means of persons to sustained their yearn for self sustenance through ingenuity and persistence, this opportunity should be offered to all, middle, low as well as upper income classes within the social framework of the Jamaican society. To me personally is if the quest of those in charge is to envelop the idea of ornamental fish keeping  to limited caste.

The financing of small community projects encouraging ornamental fish keeping is on the increase in several inner city communities. The idea of the trainers is to foster training for self sufficiency amongst members of communities where unemployment are high. I suggest that initiatives like these be planned and executed amongst young persons within all sphere of Jamaica’s social strata. Also that as a team some measured organization be planned and enacted this would see labour finance and strategy working hand in hand to reap lasting rewards. With the reach of some persons throughout the different social strata of the Jamaica’s landscape joint participation should further encourage an established ornamental fish keeping and trading industry in Jamaica, having several players and benefiting not only the investors but also the labourer and their very own families.

I have seen were a training organization gave a group of persons some fish to manage with the understanding that they would be paid handsomely for the fish when they return. It was promised that the fish would be paid for in $US currency and that the fish would be shipped over seas for sale. After nearly a year the company did not return. After much calls and effort to contact the company, they eventually cam, paid monies for the fish in Jamaican currency. The monies received for grown fish were far less than the cost to keep the fish stock. With this experience, the person opted to exit the program. Upon hearing about this , contacts were made to the company for heir side. They declined to speak on the matter.

With experiences like these, not much person are willing to invest time and resources in ornamental fish keeping in Jamaica. How can we change the mind set of our local people towards ornamental fish keeping. I believe this first should begin at the management level. Communication and a willingness to be honest are but just a few imperative areas needing attention. Share comment on the matter.