High impact agriculture marketing and production subproject : regional mariculture

The Antigua component demonstrated the difficulty of developing commercial production systems for a species (i.e., the Mithrax crab) without well-defined markets or extensive knowledge of the animal's life cycle and environmental requirements. Indications are that Mithrax crab could not be grown in captivity without considerable additional research. On the other hand, there were positive recommendations for the potential of spiny lobster. While ongoing research at the research facility established on Grand Turk did not advance as expected, the center has potential to become an important component of regional mariculture research in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, however, the Smithsonian Institution, the primary implementing agency, has no guarantee that funds will be available to sustain the center. Three major lessons were learned. (1) Economic and market analyses should be early integral parts of research in developing commercial production systems for maricultural or aquacultural products. (2) Grants to other U.S. government institutions (e.g., the Smithsonian) should be periodically reviewed to insure adequate design and progress. (3) Prior to funding cutting-edge research, A.I.D. should subject research proposals to peer review.