A land sustainability FAO regional technical workshop, 18-21 October 2010, Kingston, Jamaica FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture proceedings Series, Vol. 19

It is widely recognized that the development of aquaculture in the Wider Caribbean region is inhibited, in part, by the lack of technical expertise, infrastructure, capital investment and human resources. Furthermore, seed supply for native species relies, for the most part, on natural collection, subject to natural population abundance with wide yearly variations. The establishment of a regional hatchery facility, supporting sustainable aquaculture through the seed production of native molluscan species was discussed at the FAO workshop "Regional shellfish hatchery: A feasibility study" held in Jamaica in October 2010, by representatives of Caribbean governments and experts in the field. The current document summarizes the findings of the workshop and outlines four follow-up recommendations on steps required for the successful implementation of a regional facility.