Title: Evaluation of aquaculture effluents and management practices: A case study for Jamaica.

Aquaculture effluents contain inorganic and organic particles from fish waste, residual feed, and fertilisers, which can result in eutrophication and changes to natural ecosystems if not managed properly or treated before release. Sustainable aquaculture is on the agenda worldwide, and as the aquaculture industry continues to grow, the increase in aquaculture effluents has been gaining traction with increased criticism from the environmental community regarding effluent composition and release in receiving ecosystems. As Jamaica seeks to increase food security for its population, where current production has reached 954.23 metric tons and is expected to reach 3,400 metric tons in 2028, the demand for aquaculture products continues to grow, increasing production and effluent volume. This paper provides a review of the various methodologies utilised in Jamaica to dispose of aquaculture effluents from commercial Tilapia spp. fish farms and an evaluation of the effluent composition on selected farms. The results from the analysis of the effluent composition indicated that the majority of the parameters tested were within the standard effluent limits set by the environmental agency. The physiochemical characteristics tested resulted in these values (TL1,TL2 (NEPA limit)): total phosphorous (0.93 mg/l, 1.04 mg/l (5 mg/l)), nitrate (0.9 mg/l, 0.9 mg/l (10 mg/l)), nitrite (102 mg/l, 87 mg/l (10 mg/l)), ammonia (0.05 mg/l, 1.12 mg/l (1.0 mg/l, TL2)), pH (8.3, 7.5 6-9)), total suspended solids (44.7 mg/l, 60 mg/l (150 mg/l)) and total dissolved solids (1060 mg/l, 544 mg/l (1000 mg/l)). Although no aquaculture effluent management plan exists for the current production systems, the best aquaculture practices, such as good water source, low feed conversion ratio, and use of settlement canals employed by fish farmers in semi-intensive production systems in Jamaica, have aided in the management of nutrient load in aquaculture effluents before release. Continuance of these practices integrated with the postulated guidelines in the implementation plan will maintain the productivity of the sector and current ecological health.