Women in Aquaculture: Meet Ms Krystal Kimberly Peter-Gay Facey

Meet Krystal Kimberly Peter-Gay Facey, a driven aquaculture leader whose passion was born from witnessing the growth and development of aquaculture within her home country. Today, as Head of Aquaculture, she guides production planning, strengthens industry performance, and leads innovative project development—all while staying deeply connected to the field. From presenting published research on an international stage to inspiring the next generation of women in aquaculture, she continues to shape the industry with vision, knowledge, and pride. What inspired you to pursue a career in aquaculture? 

I have always said that aquaculture chose me and what has inspired me to pursue a career in aquaculture is to see the growth and development of the Aquaculture Industry in my country.

What is your current role, and what does a typical day look like for you?

Currently, as the head of the aquaculture department, I am responsible for planning and monitoring production processes and increasing productivity. At the same time, I try to support the performance of our team and to realise the project ideas created in this direction by identifying the needs of the sector. Due to my position, I fulfil different responsibilities every day. Firstly, I closely follow the aquaculture process by checking the facility. I organise meetings with the project team and coordinate the work to be done. In addition to gaining subject mastery by carrying out field studies, I observe bottlenecks on site. This diversity energizes my work and makes it easier for me to find effective solutions to the problems I encounter.

What has been your proudest achievement in aquaculture so far?

I have many proud achievements in aquaculture, but the one I am most proud of is being apart of the first cohort from the English-speaking Caribbean to attend WAS Latin American and Caribbean Conference in 2024 and orally presenting my published research 'Evaluation of Aquaculture Effluents and Management Practices - A Case Study for Jamaica'

What advice would you give to young women considering a career in aquaculture?

I would tell young women considering a career in aquaculture to 'Go for it'. I would encourage them to continuously keep abreast of all the new aquaculture technologies not just for their region but globally.