Prison tries fish farming as inmate rehab
Inmates at Hattieville Prison, like many of their counterparts outside the walls, are turning toward aquaculture as a way to improve their economic status. Today a new programme was launched in which the prisoners will engage in fish farming as part of their rehabilitation. Eleven hundred baby bay-snook were released in a fresh water pond on the prison grounds this morning with the help of the Fisheries Department. Programme Co-ordinator at Hattieville, Kevin Cadle, says this new venture will provide food for the inmates’ table and also help them to earn some money.
Kevin Cadle, Prog. Co-ordinator, Hattieville Prison
“There is room for further development that we plan to create more ponds and have talapia and different fishes inside those ponds.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Why was bay-snook chosen?”
Kevin Cadle
“It was chosen as one of the new pilot projects that the Fisheries Department is embarking in, and also that the Department of Corrections could actually try and assist in, so that we could actually see what our local bay-snook could actually do.”
Mauro Gongora, Hatchery Manager, Fisheries Dept.
“The Fisheries Department is currently promoting aquaculture development in Belize. The type of aquaculture we are promoting is responsible, environmentally friendly aquaculture. This is part of our activities that we are currently having at our facilities in Biscayne Village, where we have boosted the reproduction and this is part of our production from that facility.
They have treated the pond with a chemical to get rid of the undesirable type of species that are currently found in fresh water ponds in Belize. That what’s been done before stocking.”
The pond measures one hundred and fifty by forty feet and is fifteen feet deep. The fish should be ready for harvesting in nine months to one year.
In related news, arriving in Belize today was John Prescod, the Commissioner of Jamaica’s Department of Correctional Services. Prescod will be meeting with prison officials to work out ways in which Belize may receive assistance from his agency. High on the agenda will be consideration of ways for Belizean prison wardens to be trained in Jamaica. Prescod will be leaving the country tomorrow.
