This report sets out the findings of a support assignment implemented at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (MARNDR)‟s Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (DPAQ), within the framework of the ACP FISH II Programme funded by the European Commission and the European Development Fund. The purpose of the assignment was to carry out a “strategic assessment of aquaculture potential in Haiti”, as part of an approach to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture in Haiti.
A team of three international experts, comprising a Senior Aquaculture Expert and Team Leader, a GIS/Mapping Expert, and a Fisheries and Aquaculture Expert with relevant knowledge of the social and economic environment, conducted three missions in Haiti for this project.
From the beginning of its mandate, the team sought to gather the largest possible number of documents on fisheries and aquaculture, as well as on related topics, such as the country‟s environment and business sector. The team‟s exchange-based approach was extended well beyond the key MARNDR representatives, as the experts had numerous encounters with people from business, finance, trade, and environmental sectors, as well as NGO representatives and project managers.
During the first field mission (6 to 19 May 2012), the team was able to visit several of the main aquaculture farms and to identify both their strengths and a number of issues hindering the production process. The Team Leader, whose experience in Haitian aquaculture spans well over 20 years and who has carried out regular field missions in the country, was able to provide the relevant additional information on aquaculture farms that could not be visited, so that the team could produce a comprehensive report with proposals encompassing all sites.
A survey was conducted among the staff of the MARNDR‟s Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, to collect feedback on the institution‟s work and structure, to identify its strengths and weaknesses, and to measure the staff‟s job satisfaction.
