aquaculture

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA) Washington, D.C., from information released in February, 2006, the total value of all sales, both fish and eggs, received by trout growers in the 20 selected States totaled 74.2 million dollars during 2005, an increase of 4 percent from 2004. For the Nation, sales of fish totaled 69.1 million dollars for 2005, while egg sales totaled 5.14 million dollars. The State of Idaho accounted for 51 percent of the total value of fish sold.

The number of trout 12 inches and longer sold during 2005 totaled 55.5 million fish, up 12 percent from the previous year. The average price per pound was $1.05, up 2 cents from 2004. The value of sales for the 2005 marketing year was 62.6 million dollars, up 5 percent from 2004. Based on the dollar value, 67 percent were sold to processors and 19 percent were sold to fee and recreational fishing establishments.

Information about trout production and consumption is available online from 1995 from the National Agriculture Statistics Service.

Skip Thompson has published a series of reports which build into a resource entitled What Do I Need To Get Started In Trout Farming? There is also some useful information on the care of fingerlings.

George W. Klontz, Professor of Aquaculture, from the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, University of Idaho, has published a Manual for Rainbow Trout Production on the Family-Owned Farm. From the introduction:

This presentation is intended for the family-owned and -operated trout farm producing 15-50 tons (30,000-100,000 lbs.) per year. The impetus for my writing this text comes from hearing genuine concerns about rainbow trout in the marketplace. Chefs, restaurateurs, and retailers have stated quite clearly and repeatedly that they expect farmed trout to be of high quality, delivered when needed, and presented in the form required. Stated another way, quality, timeliness, and portion control are the bywords of successful trout production and marketing. Notice that selling price is not among the concerns.

Geoff J. Gooley, from the Australian Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation, has published a report on trout farming in the Australian context. A summary is online, and full document is available for free download.

T. Petr and D.B. Swar have edited and published, at the FAO, a report (2002) entitled Cold Water Fisheries in the Trans-Himalayan Countries. The abstract:

The trans-Himalayan region encompasses a number of countries situated in the midland and highland areas of the Himalayas, Karakoram and, in a broad sense also, in Hindu Kush and Pamir. The mountains are characterized by a very low level of human development, with full exploitation or overexploitation of the natural resources. Fisheries play an important role in providing food and income to the mountain people. The Symposium on Cold Water Fishes of the Trans-Himalayan Region, held from 10 to 13 July 2001 in Kathmandu, Nepal, was attended by 70 participants from 10 countries. Comprising 32 presentations, the symposium reviewed information, experiences, ideas and findings related to fish and fisheries in the region. Special attention was given to fish species distribution, fishing intensity, socio-economic conditions and livelihoods of fisher communities, as well as to the impacts of environment degradation, conservation measures and aquaculture technologies on indigenous and exotic cold water fish. The symposium highlighted the role of fisheries in providing food and income to people within the trans-Himalayas and Karakoram. Recognizing the need to increase the role of aquatic resources in poverty alleviation, the symposium urged national governments to give greater attention to fisheries development in mountain areas. A number of priority issues were indentified, including collaborative action on a regional scale, which would probably be the most cost-effective way to address these common problems and to share experiences. The recommendations are expected to be addressed in follow-up activities under a trans-Himalayan regional programme.

Contained in the document is a report on research conducted into the domestication of wild golden mahseer (Tor putitora) and hatchery operations leading to the expansion of aquaculture of the species.

The mahseer is a robust species, amongst the largest of the world’s freshwater scaled fish. Six different species have been recognised under the genus, each of which inhabit very different environs. Some are indigenous to tropical waters with a high of 35°C, while others have adapted to sub-Himalayan regions where temperatures dip to 6°C in winter. The golden mahseer, capable of growing to a maximum of 2.75 metres in length and topping 200lb in weight, remains the king of its class.

From the abstract:

Golden mahseer (Tor putitora) are found in most of the south Asian countries including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afganistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar. This popular game fish attains over 50 kg (Thapa, 1994). The population of this fish has been declining because of overfishing, also using destructive fishing methods such as electrofishing and poisoning, and because of the degradation of aquatic environment. India has already identified this fish as endangered (Shrestha, 1988a). Nepal and some other countries are in a stage of enlisting the fish as an endangered species. Strict application of the Aquatic Act and regular restocking of natural water bodies with appropriately sized mahseer can revive their stocks. A joint effort of restocking this migratory fish in the respective water bodies in the region can help to restore their stocks, and all countries should join a programme to revive the fish stocks in the lakes and rivers of their own. Nepal, India and Bangladesh have been attempting to develop large scale seed production technology of mahseer. Information on breeding of golden mahseer is readily available (Tripathi et al., 1977; Pathani and Das, 1979; Masuda and Banstola, 1984; Joshi, 1984; Shrestha 1987, 1988; Shrestha et al., 1990; Sehgal, 1991), but information on domestication of wild broodstock and its hatchery production is scanty (Ogale, this volume). The old practice has been to rear the wild mahseer in captivity. Brood fish grown in captivity can produce the required quantity of seed. Masuda and Banstola (1980) did not foresee the possibility of growing the wild breeders to sexual maturity in captivity. Shrestha (1990) believes that mahseer do not breed in stagnant reservoirs where water circulation is poor. However, the wild breeders grown in earthen ponds, not supplied with running water, attain sexual maturity and exhibit sexual play with the male chasing the female making a loop during the spawning time. The fish spawn twice a year. Its first spawning in April/May is followed by the second one in August/September. Males grown in captivity but it is difficult to sort out females just ready to spawn. This study describes the hatchery operation of wild golden mahseer reared in an earthen pond.

Raising fish in rice paddies brings to farmers in Asia an important source of protein, as well as extra income. Rice–Fish Culture in China is an important addition to the English language literature in this area. Along with biological and ecological aspects of rice–fish culture, this free online book (edited by Kenneth T. MacKay) addresses its economic and social dimensions.

From the preface and introduction:

A National Rice–Fish Farming Systems Symposium was held in China at the Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre of the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 4–8 October 1988. China has had a long history of rice–fish farming. As rural areas have been industrialized in recent years, rice–fish farming has gained attention because it is an organic method that combines rice and fish production while maximizing labour and ricefield resources.

Rice has always been the number one grain crop in China in terms of both area and yield. During the 1950s, the tradition of rice–fish farming developed substantially but the benefits were not significant. Fish harvests were poor because the method was based only on traditional experiences and technical difficulties were encountered. However, rice–fish farming developed rapidly and by 1988, 800 000 ha were being harvested with a average yield of 133 kg/ha. In some areas, yields exceeded 3750 kg/ha and many farmers harvested 15 000 kg of rice and 1500 kg of fish per hectare. The incomes of these farmers increased considerably. The techniques of rice–fish farming improved markedly as additional skill and experience were acquired.

Research was focused on the common needs of fish and rice for water, light, and nutrition under local conditions. Many new techniques were developed to suit various locations: ridge and ditch systems; semidry land; ditch manure pits; ditches with floating water; and rice–duckweed–fish systems.

Rice–fish farming is no longer limited to the household economy and to production for personal or family consumption. It is now part of farmland improvement, soil improvement, and environmental protection. Rice–fish farming has increased the productivity of ricefields and is fast becoming an important part of the commodity economy. It has also played a significant role in reforming the structure of rural industries.

After shrimp and salmon, tilapia is the third most imported aquaculture product (by weight – over 56,000 tons in 2001) into the United States, according to fishfarming.com.

Carole R. Engle and Ivano Neira from the Aquaculture/Fisheries Center at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Arkansas have published a free download (.pdf) document entitled: Tilapia Farm Business Management and Economics:A Training Manual.

The manual offers information initially from the perspective of a farming or investor considering establishing a tilapia-based farm business, using experience and models developed in Kenya. Tilapia has become so widespread and so well documented that almost any dataset can probably be reproduced consistently almost anywhere with only minor regional variance.

Richard Bailey and Brian Cole (Aquaculture Extension Agents, Sea Grant Extension Service, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii) have published a report documenting techniques for spawning the tinfoil barb. The report is available as a free download (.pdf) from the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture. It is entitled: CTSA #136. Bailey, R. and B. Cole. 1999. Spawning the Tinfoil Barb, Barbodes schwanenfeldi, in Hawaii. 8 pp.

From the report:

The tinfoil barb, Barbodes schwanenfeldi, is a common fish found in the international aquarium trade and food markets in Southeast Asia. Tinfoil barbs are a peaceful fish that can reach a length greater than 40 centimeters or 16 inches, and like other, larger barbs, can often live more than 10 years in captivity. In nature, tinfoil barbs are primarily macrophages; that is, they feed on vascular aquatic plants. However, they will eat most commercially prepared diets consisting of vegetable and fish meal proteins.