By Dr. Yoram Avnimelech
Let us define extensive pond, a pond that produce up to 2000 kg fish/ha per year, while intensive pond, normally provided with artificial aeration, more than 6,000 kg/ha .Which one do we choose?
Aquaculture production has to increase 5 folds within the next 5 decades in order to feed people.
Aquaculture depends on water and land. One ha pond requires on the average 35,000 m3 water per year. If annual fish production is below 2000 kg/ha, about 20m3 are required to produce 1 kg fish. In vast parts of the globe, including large area in India, there is just no additional water to support increased production. However, in intensive systems, we can produce fish with much less water. Only 0.3 m3 is needed to produce a kg of tilapia in intensive systems in Israel.
Land is also limited. Land for aquaculture has to be plat, close to water source and close to a drainage basin. We can produce fish or shrimp with sea water, but it should be near the sea, where demand for land is high and environmental considerations minimize expansion of mariculture near the sea (India is a pioneer in protecting ocean shores from pollution).Thus, it seems that intensive aquaculture is the major option to raise production, globally.
So, what should one decide?
Firstly, if you got a fish farm, do not replace the system all at once. You should continue to use your existing resources and experience, slowly moving toward the more intensive systems. If you do it right, you can succeed in raising production and profit.
India, like other active aquaculture producing countries, should invest in training of farmers, establishing intensive farms to serve as demonstration sites where people can see and learn, and develop the needed infra-structure. Doing this, aquaculture production of the country can grow in a stable and continuous manner.
Dr. Yoram Avnimelech is the Professor at Dept. of Environmental & Civil Eng., Technion, Israel Inst. of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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