Species protection and conservation

Fish farming can contribute to the protection and restoration of endangered fish populations living in the wild through the efficient provision of juveniles for release or stocking.

An increasing number of fish are finding their way onto the CITES lists of endangered species. The production of juvenile fish and shellfish in hatcheries is far more efficient (in terms of survival) than in the wild. These juveniles may not only be grown on as food, but also for the conservation and restoration of fish populations (through release or restocking) and the provision of fish for angling.

This technique, also known as "stock enhancement" or "enhancement aquaculture" has an economic advantage in that production costs are much lower, and has proven to be successful for a variety of marine fish species, mainly in Norway, Japan and the USA.

Sturgeons are among the worlds most valuable wildlife resources and can be found in large river systems, lakes, coastal waters and inner seas throughout the northern hemisphere. For people around the world, caviar, i.e. unfertilized sturgeon roe, is a delicacy. Sturgeons are also a major source of income and employment, as well as an important element of the local food supply. Current trends in illegal harvest and trade put all these benefits at risk. Since 1998, international trade in all species of sturgeons has been regulated under CITES owing to concerns over the impact of unsustainable harvesting of and illegal trade in sturgeon populations in the wild.

Photo: Juvenile sturgeon for restocking.
Source Aquaculture Europe Vol 32 (3). September 2007. Courtesy M. Chebanov.

The Ramsar Declaration on Global Sturgeon Conservation recognises the importance of aquaculture in the preservation of sturgeon species, specifically mentioning the importance of captive broodstock programmes to prevent loss of genetic variety; the monitoring of stocked juvenile fish to assess the cost-effectiveness of stocking strategies; the cultivation of sturgeon for meat and caviar products - especially with due involvement of the lowincome local fishing community who need alternative livelihoods; and the need for internationally agreed standards on culture technology and general husbandry, adequate nutrition, disease prevention and product quality control.

More information is available at www.wscs.info - the site of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society.

Different trout species have been restocked in Europes rivers for decades. Prior to the Second World War, the UK production of trout juveniles was exclusively to stock rivers in England and Scotland to support natural populations and for recreational fishing. It was only in the 1950s that technology was introduced to produce fish for the table. This is the case across much of Europe, where trout remains the top aquaculture production species within European Member States, and where restocking accounts for a significant proportion of total trout fry production.

Photo showing 2007 re-population in the river Nivelle in the Basque region of France.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Jacques Dumas, INRA.

CCRES AQUAPONICS

project of NGO

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES 

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Health and welfare of farmed fish shellfish

CCRES AQUAPONICS

Farmed fish are contained - in ponds, tanks or cages - as with all farmed animals. Just as in land-based farming, farm managers increasingly choose stocking densities and handling practices that optimize growth and health status while avoiding unnecessary suffering.

CCRES AQUAPONICS

Questions are sometimes raised about welfare aspects of aquaculture production. Usually, such questions focus on three issues: stocking densities, the possibility to have ‘free-range aquaculture and the way farmed fish is slaughtered at harvest.

There are many definitions of animal welfare. One definition is based upon the Farm Animal Welfare Councils "five freedoms":

• Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition
• Freedom from discomfort due to environment
• Freedom from pain, injury and disease
• Freedom to express normal behaviour for the species
• Freedom from fear and distress.
  

Scientific studies have identified operating indicators of fish welfare so that producers are able to measure the welfare status of their stock. The Freedom Food certification scheme of the RSPCA in the UK is a very good example of a welfare standard that has been built by on-farm dialogue with producers and which is now available for salmonid species.

Stocking Density

Many species of fish, such as herring and mackerel, live in large shoals in the wild and are therefore used to very high densities. Keeping such fish in high densities on a farm will only become a problem if the water quality deteriorates, or if the fish are deprived of oxygen or exposed to disease. Fish farmers do their best to prevent such conditions since they will reduce production.

Fish farms holding fish at high stocking densities carefully monitor the oxygen in the water and maintain it at the optimum level for fish growth. Every effort is made to ensure that fish are kept in a healthy condition and that disease is prevented wherever possible, or identified and treated should it occur.

Stocking density has often been proposed as an indicator to measure welfare and there is considerable debate about its value. Also, since the 1980s the volume of cages used for salmon culture in Northern Europe has increased considerably - in some cases more than 200 times, reducing densities and enhancing the ability for the fish to show natural behaviour. However, as land animals that are kept within fences, some limits on behaviour are necessary in farmed fish production.

Free-range aquaculture

"Freerange" aquaculture exists in several forms - for example in "ranching" of salmon and lobster, in "organic" salmon production and in shellfish farming.

Photo: Juvenile lobsters reared for restocking Copyright: The AquaReg Lobster Project www.aquareg.com

"Ranching" - is an aquaculture technique whereby fish and shellfish are bred in captivity and then released into the wild to complete their life cycle before being harvested at some time in the future. Ranching has effectively been applied to Atlantic and Pacific salmon production, whereby juvenile fish have been reared from wild-caught eggs and sperm, raised in hatcheries and then released into specific rivers as smolt, allowed to migrate to sea and recaptured on their return to their river of origin.

Lobster ranching has also been tried on a number of commercial lobster beds in the past, with juvenile lobsters being raised in shore-based hatcheries and then placed on the seabed in sheltered rocky habitats where their chance of survival is thought to warrant the expense of production.

"Organic" salmon farming is conducted according to agreed codes of organic production. Rearing takes place in large, open water floating pens where conditions are as close to the open ocean as possible. Stocking densities are reduced to allow the fish to grow and develop in as natural a way as possible and the only feed used comes from sustainable fisheries. Because of lower stocking densities and open water conditions, the fish tend to be less prone to disease and therefore the use of medicines can be kept to a minimum. Increased production cost for "organic" fish is recouped with higher prices on the marketplace.

Shellfish farming, such as the laying of oysters and mussels directly on the seabed or the hanging of mussels on suspended ropes, can be said to be "free range" in so far as it is allowing the shellfish to grow in identical conditions to those they would encounter in the wild.

Slaughter methods

Recent studies suggest that fish, like warm-blooded animals, can experience fear and pain, leading to justifiable concern that codes of practice for the welfare of warm-blooded farm animals should be extended to cover farmed fish.

Accordingly, a four-step process for the humane slaughter of farmed fish has been developed similar to the European Directive covering warm-blooded animals. It covers transport and live storage, restraining, stunning and slaughter.

The process decrees that, to spare fish avoidable trauma, stunning prior to slaughter should induce immediate (within one second) and permanent loss of consciousness or, where loss of consciousness is not immediate, it should be without any avoidable excitement, pain or suffering.

Photo: Electrical stunning of Atlantic Salmon in Tasmania. Systems identical to this are currently being
installed in Norway, so that all farms are equipped by July 2008. Photo courtesy of Bruce Goodrick.

Farmers currently employ any of three ways to reach this goal: electrical stunning (passing a current through the animal); mechanical stunning (a captive needle destroys the brain) or chemical stunning (adding a food-grade substance like eugenol, based on clove oil, to the water in which the fish are held.)

CCRES AQUAPONICS 
part of NGO
Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

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How Do I Get Started in Aquaculture

CCRES AQUAPONICS

           

As part of our aquaculture initiative, the Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES) has started the CCRES aquaponics  program. This Web site is part of that program. We have attempted to include as much information as possible for beginning and experienced fish farmers. While the information compiled here is not all-inclusive, we have tried to be as thorough as possible, covering all the various types of aquaculture relevant to Croatia. If you would like to submit any information for our Web site, please contact us.

Specal thanks to :
Indiana Soybean Alliance
5730 W 74th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46278
1-800-735-0195
for giving us great source of informations.

How Do I Get Started in Aquaculture?   

The most important activity anyone considering fish farming should conduct is developing and writing a business plan.

Here are some of the basic steps.

Business Planning    

Writing a business plan is the single most important step a farmer can take when determining if aquaculture is something they want to explore as a viable economic investment. A well-developed business plan will cover all aspects of an aquaculture business, from species and production systems, to economics and marketing. Failing to complete a business plan is one of the primary reasons for business failure!

Feed Management   

Feed management, from buying the correct feed and proper feeding rates to properly storing feed, is essential to managing fish health and growth. Excellent feed managers not only save money by not wasting feed, they also optimize production potential on their farms. Every farm will likely have a different feed management strategy as production criteria like feeding rates and growth rates will be impacted by species selection, production system, environmental conditions, among other things. Proper feed management should be implemented as part of an overall best management practices plan.

Financing      

Aquaculture in Croatia doesn’t have a well-established track record like other forms of agriculture, so acquiring funds and insurance from traditional farm sources can be difficult.  Lenders and insurers will want to see a well-developed business plan with income and cash flow statements before they consider funding/insuring an aquaculture operation.  They may also want to see a best management practices plan.  Please visit the other sections to get more information covering these and other topics.


Economics

          
Filling out financial statements is one of the critical steps in developing a viable business plan. The following spreadsheets were developed to help new producers manage a business venture in aquaculture. There are different spreadsheets available depending on production system: Recirculating (RAS), pond or cage. There are examples provided as well, but these should only be used as a guide as many of the numbers will vary depending on your business specifics. The following material can be used to help plan and build a successful business in aquaculture.


Fish Health
          
Animal health is perhaps more of a challenge in aquaculture than any other type of livestock agriculture. There are very few veterinarians actively involved in fish health, thus it is often difficult for fish producers to obtain veterinary services. There are also few approved drugs available to treat sick fish. For these reasons, it is critical for fish farmers to implement a best management practices (BMP) plan that encourages fish health. The most common cause of fish disease is stress, and a well-developed BMP will help farmers minimize stress to their livestock.

Marketing
          
As with most specialty and niche crops, fish farmers in Croatia typically have to market their own product. This can be done in a variety of ways from local farmers markets and restaurants, to ethnic markets and restaurants in large metropolitan cities. Farmers should always have more than one market identified for their fish to be sure that they will always be able to sell product. This is especially critical for farmers who want to acquire funds from traditional agricultural lenders. Another option is for a group of farmers to start a marketing cooperative that can allow them to enter larger markets that would not be open to individual farmers because of the smaller scale of their business.


Production Systems

More information about specific production systems :

Cage Systems           

Cage farming is simply raising fish in a large, submerged cage that can be used in a pond that otherwise might not be ideal for farming. An ideal location for a cage production farm would be in a pond/private lake that is too large for traditional pond aquaculture or is unsuitable for another reason (perhaps it is too deep, or cannot be drained). Cages can be floated throughout the pond and accessed either via a dock or boat.

160fs - What is Cage Culture.pdf
161fs - Cage Site Selection Water Quality.pdf
162fs - Cage Construction Placement Aeration.pdf
163fs - Cage Species Suitable.pdf
164fs - Cage Handling and Feeding.pdf
165fs - Cage Problems.pdf
166fs - Cage Harvesting Economics.pdf
281fs - Cage Tilapia.pdf
FA04800 - Cage Management.pdf
tb110-CageCultureNCR.pdf


Larval Feed
          
Feeding larval fish can be difficult and depending on the species of fish, commercially formulated diets might not be available. Many fish farmers rely on feeding live feed to their larval fish until they are big enough to start eating formulated feeds. Farmers can rely on the natural productivity of ponds to grow their live feed, or they can utilize indoor production systems. These production systems are often smaller and specialized for raising small, often microscopic, live feed organisms.

701fs - Larval Feed.pdf
702fs - Artemia.pdf



Pond Systems           

Pond aquaculture is the most traditional type of aquaculture in the world. It has been producing fish in Asia and Africa for thousands of years. Most of the available fish farming information is based on pond aquaculture.

100fs - Levee Pond Site Selection.pdf
101fs - Levee Pond Construction.pdf
102fs - Watershed Pond Site Selection.pdf
103fs - Calculating Area Volume.pdf
280fs Pond Tilapia.pdf
395fs - Pond Inventory Assessment.pdf
460fs - Pond Clay Turbidity.pdf
462fs - Pond Nitrite.pdf
463fs - Pond Ammonia.pdf
464fs - Pond Water Quality Considerations.pdf
466fs - Pond Algae Blooms.pdf
468fs - Pond Carbon Dioxide.pdf
469fs - Fertilizing Fry Ponds.pdf
470fs - Pond Effluents.pdf
471fs - Pond Fertilization.pdf
700fs - Pond Zooplankton Larval Feed.pdf
Aquatic Weed Control in Ponds.pdf
FA00800 - Pond Copper Use.pdf
FA02100 - Pond Aeration.pdf
FA02800 - Pond Lime Use.pdf
FA03200 Pond Potassium Permanganate.pdf
PONDS.pdf
TB114 - Plankton Management.pdf
wrac-104 - Pond Fertilization.pdf
wrac-106 - Settling Basin.pdf




Recirculating Aquaculture Systems
          
Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are the newest form of fish farming production system. RAS are typically an indoor system that allows for farmers to control environmental conditions year round. While the costs associated with constructing a RAS are typically higher than either pond or cage culture, if the system is managed properly to produce fish on a year round basis, the economic returns can make it worth the increased investment. RAS are the most complex aquaculture systems and beginners should plan on making a significant time commitment to learning how to operate a system.

103fs - Calculating Area Volume.pdf
451fs - RAS Critical Considerations.pdf
452fs - RAS Management.pdf
453fs - RAS Component Options.pdf
455fs - RAS Pond Systems.pdf
456fs - RAS Economic Spreadsheet.pdf
AA21200 - Energy Costs.pdf
FA05000 - RAS Principles.pdf
facts5 - RAS Prudence Pays.pdf



Barn Conversion
          
There has been a lot of interest in converting livestock buildings to fish production. While a “model” has yet to be developed, the material below has been presented at several different workshops focusing on converting livestock barns to aquaculture.

Barn Conversions for Aquaculture 3-8-07.asx
Chuck-IPVideoWorkshop.pdf
Hicks-Workshop.ppt
hogbarn.ppt
Laura-HogbarnWorkshop.pdf
Shawn-BarnConversion.pdf

 CCRES AQUAPONICS

part of
CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

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