Sep 22 2014

Promoting small-scale aquaculture in Mexico – Case study

Credit: Kevin Fitzsimmons (USA)

Contributor: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)

The promotion of small-scale aquaculture in Mexico adopted several approaches during 1990s including but not limited to offering low-cost loan programs to social groups. Moreover, the governmental hatcheries which have been affiliated to the Mexican Ministry of Fisheries (SEPESCA); latter (SEMARNAP) supplied tilapia fingerlings to small producers and social groups. The main goal of the governmental support is to help the rural poor to improve their diet as well as raise the household standard of living. The progress in this project indicated a positive outcome as many small fish producers grew tilapia. Even though there has been some adjustment in the support process, the goal of assisting small farmers is still there. The photo shows the bagging of tilapia fry as carried out in a governmental hatchery for delivery to target small-scale farms in Sinaloa.

Reference: K. Fitzsimmons K. 2000. Tilapia aquaculture in Mexico. Pages 171–183 in B.A. Costa-Pierce and J.E. Rakocy, eds. Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas, Vol. 2. The World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.

Bagging tilapia fry for small-scale farms in Mexico

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11837

Sep 20 2014

Farm-made fish feed in a Chinese farm

Credit: Khamis killei John (South Sudan)

The photos show feed mixers which are used by some fish farms in China. The shape of feed mixers may vary and so the feed ingredients. These small feeding machines operate by electricity. On the average, the volume of the mixer is about 6 kilograms of feed.

Farm-made feed in China (02) Farm-made feed in China (01)

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11825

Sep 20 2014

Family fishing in Nam Xong Reservoir system, Laos

Photo credit: MK19 – Fisheries and Aquaculture Production in Reservoirs in Lao PDR

Technical review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)

Nam Xong Sub-River Basin (NXSRB) is one of the 18 sub- basins of Nam Ngum River Basin, Laos. NXSRB covers an area of around 180,000 ha and located in the central part of northern Lao PDR. The basin covers more than 70 villages with more than 60,000 inhabitants.

Fishery in the basin generates a major income. In addition, fisheries provide a large proportion of the protein and nutrients and other dietary requirements for the people living in the basin.

The inserted photo shows a family while fishing in the main irrigation canal from Nam Xouang Reservoir. Shrimps and clams are abundant in such canals.

Family fishing in Laos

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11821

Sep 18 2014

Farm-made fish feed in a fish farm in Myanmar

Credit of photos and source of information: Aquaculture Asia

As the case in aquaculture in many countries worldwide, farm-made feed was the sole source of feed especially where commercial feed does not exist or the level of aquaculture development is too small to justify the establishment of commercial fish feed.
Up to 1990, cultured fish in Myanmar were fed exclusively with farm-made feeds whereas broken rice, groundnut cake and rice bran were the principal ingredients which used to be cooked overnight and prepared as a moist mash before feeding fish. The mixing ratios among feed ingredients used to be based on farmer’s experience and availability of the principal ingredients. The inserted photos are related to farm-made feed that show the mixing of feed ingredients and air-drying of feed.
Along with the expansion in aquaculture in Myanmar and the establishment of commercial feed mills, many farmers are using commercial feed while other farmers continue to use farm-made feeds. As expected, the production economics will determine which feed farmers might use.

Reference: Aquafeeds in Myanmar: A change from farm-made to factory-made feeds, Aquaculture Asia, Volume XII No. 3, July-September 2007

Myanmar (mixing feed ingredients) Myanmar (farm made feed)

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11816

Sep 18 2014

Intensive tank culture of tilapia in Mexico

Credit: Kevin Fitzsimmons (USA)

The picture shows an intensive tilapia farm in which round tanks are used. This farm is located outside of Abasolo, Tamaulipas.

This farm uses a gravity-fed water supply from the Vicente Guerrero irrigation canal. The tanks are drained through a center standpipe and supplemental aeration is provided using oxygen injection. The farm has an on-site feed mill. Fish processing is completed at the farm with freezing and packaging available. The processing plant brings in other freshwater and marine products, as the tilapia production has not reached the capacity of the processing facilities.

 

References: Fitzsimmons K. 2000. Tilapia aquaculture in Mexico. Pages 171–183 in B.A. Costa-Pierce and J.E. Rakocy, eds. Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas, Vol. 2. The World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.

Intensive tilapia farm in Mexico

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11813

Sep 17 2014

Dugout canoes in artisanal fishing in Ghana

Credit: Patrick Appenteng (Ghana)

In Ghana, Inland fishing vessels for artisanal fishing include dugout and planked canoes.

Dugout canoes, as the name suggests are canoes dugged out, but from special timber logs. Planked canoes are manufactured by joining different wooden boards. The insert here shows the process of constructing a dugout canoe in a fishing community in the Asuogyaman District of Ghana. Length is about 5m.

Unlike the planked canoes which usually move by outboard motors, dugout canoes employ manual propelling using specially constructed wooden paddles.

Dugout canoes in Ghana

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11808

Sep 17 2014

Feeding caged bluefin tuna with small fishes – a debatable issue (Video)

Credit for the video: Ahmed Shaheen (Egypt)

Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website and video channel)

Typically, the fattening of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is done in sea cages. The tuna is caught by purse seiners in the Mediterranean and the ones that are targeted for fattening are taken to cages in which they are grown for a period that might range from 6 months to two years depending on the initial and target sizes. Japan in the principal market for fattened tuna.

As the video –filmed in Italy- shows, caged tunas are fed on small oily fish such as herring, sardines, anchovies, and squid; the greater the fat content of produced tuna, the greater the price on the Tokyo fish market. Often these small fish that are fed to tuna are kept frozen and are thawed before feeding. This is done either at ambient room temperature or by pumping seawater over the frozen fish blocks.

There is a considerable debate and opposition against the use of small fish in feeding tunas. The main reason is the poor efficiency of the practice; 10-20kg of feed fish is needed to produce one kg of tuna. The has led to increased pressure on some fish species that are used for human consumption which has been seen by some groups as unsustainable and unethical towards the world’s poor/hungry, Moreover, some opinions warns that the feeding of the pilchards to the tuna is associated with the spread of diseases.

 

Note: the water turbulence within the cage indicates the aggressive feeding of tuna as demonstrated throughout this video

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11798

Sep 17 2014

Fish fats in soap making in rural areas (Ghana)

Credit:Patrick Appenteng (Ghana)

The significance of aquaculture goes beyond food security, even into detergents manufacturing, a technology which most rural folks practice on a small scale.

The insert shows the fish oils and other fats from degutted fishes from a fish farm in the Asuogyaman District of Ghana. The whitish substances are fats that have coagulated.

Apart from the fact that these women processors use some of the oil for food for their families, they claim they also use some of the oil in local soap production as well.

Fish fats in soap making in Ghana

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11793

Sep 16 2014

Vegetable production in a recirculating aquaponic system using Nile tilapia with and without freshwater prawn  

Photo credit: Kevin Fitzsimmons (USA)

Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)

Note: The information below has been distilled from the reference paper

 

The photo shows a pilot aquaponic unit installed at, the University of Arizona (Tucson), (USA). The study was conducted and included three species of leafy vegetables that are namely lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis) and pac choi (Brassica rapa). The two fish species included in the study were Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii).

The study was conducted in a controlled environment greenhouse comprising of bio-filtration tank, fish tank and a raceway. While tilapia was incorporated in the two treatments, the freshwater prawn was included in only one treatment under the rafts while the other has no prawn to serve as control. Typical water quality parameters were monitored to ensure optimum environmental condition.

The species-related performance of project components of vegetables and fish were evaluated after the 108-day study. While production and growth rate were evaluated in all project components, species-specific parameters in vegetables were evaluated (e.g. circumference of crown, length of leaves and length of roots).

The freshwater prawn grew from about 1.7 to 6.3 g while and depending on treatment tilapia grew from about 310 – 445 g and from 368 – 524 g throughout the study. The reference paper has much more information on the facility description, methodology and outcomes of the study supported by detailed Tables and figures. If you are interested in the subject matter, you may visit the reference paper.

 

References: Sace, C.F. and Fitzsimmons, K.M. 2013. Vegetable production in a recirculating aquaponic system using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with and without freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii). Acad. J. Agric. Res. 1(12):236-250.

Aquaponics in Arizona (facility) Aquaponics in Arizona (lettuce)

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11786

Sep 14 2014

Intensive shrimp culture under greenhouses in Ecuador

Photo credit: Kevin Fitzsimmons (USA)

Technical review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)

In the late 1990s, shrimp production in Ecuador was severely affected by the White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) that caused a drastic decrease in shrimp production and so in the value of exported shrimp. The significant contribution of shrimp exports to total private exports in Ecuador (about 6%), national research system launched research projects to address the problems caused by WSSV. Ecuador’s Centro Nacional de Acuicultura e Investigaciones Marinas (CENAIM) has been the leading institute in charge of WSSV research.

The research findings revealed a positive impact of elevated water temperature in a greenhouse system on the survival of shrimp against the infection by WSSV especially when compared to open ponds where the infection by WSSV and so the mortality of infected shrimp was high.

Based on field observation, greenhouses maintained water temperatures 3-5 C above open pond temperatures whereas temperatures of pond water under greenhouses reached 29-32 during the colder July – November season.

The greenhouse system accompanied by the high growth rate and so survival justified the intensification of shrimp culture in which the stocking density went up to above 120 000/ha. As expected, specialized formulated feed is being used in that intensive system. It has been recommended to use greenhouses as a viable production system for shrimp in Ecuador and elsewhere.

Intensive shrimp culture under greenhouses in Ecuador (02) Intensive shrimp culture under greenhouses in Ecuador (01)

 

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=11701

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