The tilapia was introduced for farming purposes in Belize in the mid 90’s. It was amidst controversy as opponents complained that the hardy and aggressive fish would escape their farms, and then overtake and extinguish local fish stocks. And that’s just what happened, and right about now, if you’re eating fish particularly at a restaurant – tilapia is what’s for dinner. And while it’s no tasty kingfish or sumptuous snapper, the tilapia is still in great demand all over the world – and farming it can be very lucrative. And that’s why when he found himself out of job – Boston Village Resident Efrain Cortez turned to tilapia.
Efrain Cortez, Fish Farmer
“I used to do body works, I have a body works job but unfortunately the government closed it down.”
And that’s when Efrain Cortez and his wife Leslie moved to his 24 acre estate in Boston Village and decided to start a tilapia farm.
Efrain Cortez,
“It was talking much about raising tilapia during the fish farming so we decided to try at it. We get an excavator to come in and dig the pond for us. From day to day we would catch about 15 to 20 pounds for the day, not in big quantity – just small amounts.”
Small amounts – enough for them to eat and the excess is sold. It is a small operation – apart from Efrain Cortez and his wife there is only one employee.
Efrain Cortez,
“It is me and my wife you know. We feed them every other day and we have the fisherman that catches for us.”
Keith Swift,
What is your role mam?
Leslie Cortez, Fish Farmer
“Me, I only come and see what happens- I can’t do much.”
Cortez says the lesson in his story is that instead of finding jobs, Belizeans should create jobs.
Efrain Cortez,
“More or less it is self-sustained business. You can eat, you can sell, and you make a living off of it.”
Efrain Cortez has two ponds and he plans to add two more. Belize Rural North Area Representative Edmund Castro assisted Cortez with the project.
