Dec 11, 2010

Red Snapper Fish Roe Farm

Some enterprising family here on the Isla has started a new venture.  They came up with the idea of raising fish from eggs.  Hopefully I have the details correct, if not I apologize, but this is the story as told to me.  The red snapper eggs are harvested  from live fish who are not harmed in the process and are then set free.  This link gives a good idea of the process, http://www.lsu.edu/seagrantfish/faqs/redsnapper/biology.htm.  This is a quote from the link, “Even a small red snapper will produce a seemingly respectable 30,000 eggs in a season while a large female might spawn an incredible 75 million or more eggs each season! And if it should survive to the known maximum of its longevity, a female could potentially spawn nearly 4 billion eggs in her lifetime.”

Once the eggs have been gathered they are kept in special nets around a pod out in the ocean.  Neither fish nor birds can get at the roe.  Once the eggs have grown to the fry stage (baby fish size) they are then sold to fish farms.  I think this is a great idea.  A new way to bring income to the Isla.

In this first photo the nets are being prepared.

Now the tricky process of getting the nets out to the pod.

Amazing how the net sits over the boat.  Finally attachment to the rest of the pod.

Two things amaze me.  The first being the ingenious idea of using what is already around you to create and income with little capital on your part.  I am amazed that once again all of this takes place from within view of my garden!!

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One Response to “Red Snapper Fish Roe Farm”

  1. Looks lime they may have created a gold mine! Interesting process.

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