Marine aquaculture—also known as mariculture—is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish and shrimp in the ocean or coastal environments using systems like floating cages, sea pens, or coastal ponds. Unlike inland aquaculture, mariculture harnesses the sea’s natural resources to sustainably produce seafood. It offers the potential to reduce reliance on imports, generate employment, and support coastal livelihoods, while also promoting innovation through hatcheries, improved feeds, and integrated multi-trophic systems. The Caribbean is uniquely positioned for success in this sector, with clean waters, suitable native species, and growing demand for healthy, locally farmed seafood. Yet many CARICOM states still…

Fisheries and aquaculture, including mariculture, supports food security, sustainable livelihoods, trade, employment, and even cross-sectoral growth across the Caribbean economy—both the blue and the green economies which span sectors across terrestrial and coastal marine expanses. Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) employ almost 540,000 people, including women and youth, accounting for 6% of the labour force of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), according to data compiled and analysed by Mrs. June Masters, Statistics and Information Analyst at the CRFM Secretariat.   Across the seventeen CRFM Member States, almost 130,000 fishers—approximately 10% of them females—harvested…