After vandals broke in last October and poisoned more than 800 fish, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School’s aquaponics program appeared to be in jeopardy, but with the delivery of 100 new fish hatchlings Tuesday, the school’s principal said Kean’s tilapia farm might soon be even bigger than before.
Gerard "Luz" James III delivered the fish Tuesday morning – flying them over from the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Croix, just like he did two years ago when UVI’s agricultural center donated the school’s initial set of 40 hatchlings. The new fish will join the 100 adult fish that were left untouched after last year’s attack, and Kean Principal Sharon McCollum said the school has also invested in new equipment, plant beds, a filtration system, and security enhancements that will help expand and protect the tilapia farm.
"I’m very happy about this and I’m looking forward to the future as well," McCollum said. "With the ordering of new equipment and other items, I anticipate we’re going to have an even bigger operation, so this is definitely a great day – which I’m thankful for, because this whole incident was very stressful and hurtful, both to the school and the community."
McCollum added that the break-in helped pull in community support from different private and public agencies, along with the Kean students and staff.
"If anything, it has helped to galvanize everyone – people are always asking me about it and this helps us spread the message that we’re back, we’re functioning," she added.
Kean science teacher Kirk Lewis, who spearheaded the school’s aquaponics initiative and works with students in the farm, said there has still been movement since last October. The 100 remaining fish have grown into adults and are starting to reproduce, while the students put in new plant beds – with a variety of local produce and herbs – two weeks ago.
"We’re hoping to start harvesting lettuce at the end of the month, and with the 100 fish we had here, I’m hoping that by April, we’ll be harvesting them as well," he said. "The 100 new fishlings that we received today will now be put into the system and, even if we don’t get any more, I believe we’ll be fine since the adult fish are now producing babies."
Kean was slated to get a donation of fish from the Bureau of Corrections’ farm on St. Croix, but Lewis said they are not quite ready to be moved.
"We are excited now about moving forward," Lewis said. "The whole idea about having this program at the school is getting students to see the viability of it and hopefully see the potential for the future."
McCollum said the school has also installed new security features at the farm, including cameras and better fencing, to help protect the area.
