Clarke

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

While emphasising there is no documentary proof to say that Jamaica has enough Diamond Back Squid to establish a multimillion industry, Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke said government is not against seeing an industry established locally.

"We have been working with the Japanese government ... one of the first thing that one has to establish is the existence of these Diamond Back Squids," Minister Clarke told The Sunday Gleaner. "Over the past few years the catch has been about four or five, which is contrary to the view that there are out there awash."

Minister Clarke's statement sharply contradicts the position of local fisher folk, especially members of the Whitehouse Fishermen Co-operative (WFC) in Montego Bay, whose members claim they have been seeing Diamond Back Squid in abundance off Jamaica's north coast over the past 20 years.

Upon learning from officials of the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) that it could be a lucrative industry, the local fisher folk have been pressing government to buy into the establishment of a local industry.

Frustrated

"We are extremely frustrated because we could be generating millions of dollars from this industry," said WFC president Troy Jumpp. "It is a US$100 million a year industry in Japan and the Japanese expert said it would appear that we have more squid here in Jamaica than in Japan."

Diamond Back Squid belong to a diverse group of marine molluscs and are popular in Japanese and American cuisine. While common fish species is sold for a mere J$60 per pound, squid sushi material on the east coast of the United States goes for far more than J$600 per pound.

Minister Clarke said that while government would support a local squid industry, he believes that the private sector and not government should take the lead should such an industry is to be established.

"An enterprise like that should be led by the private sector ... the government is not into fishing, what we are doing is facilitating," said Minister Clarke. "We are working now with the Japanese to see how we can get involved." He added:

"You can't just go out and buy up equipment to catch Diamond Back Squid without knowing if any is out there."

Fritz Pinnock, executive director of the Caribbean Maritime Institute, recently urged local fishing interests to look at Diamond Back Squid industry as both a new economic opportunity as well as a way of lessening the stress on shallow water fish species.

"I would, therefore, encourage local fishers to venture deeper at sea and enjoy a higher profit margin," Mr. Pinnock said.