AGRICULTURE

CHAPTER

FISHERIES

TOPIC: AQUACULTURE

Contents
Aquaculture: ................................................................................................................................................................. 1
1 Definition: ............................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Classification of Aquaculture: ............................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Based on the degree of intensity:................................................................................................................. 3
2.2 Based on the type of environment within which the cultivation takes place and the species is cultivated
(Eg. Based on Salinity)............................................................................................................................................... 3
2.3 On the basis of species stocked for farming:................................................................................................ 4
3 Various Aquaculture Methods and Practices: ...................................................................................................... 4
3.1 Fish Pond Culture:......................................................................................................................................... 5
3.2 Pen and Cage Culture: .................................................................................................................................. 5
3.3 Raceway: ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
3.4 Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS): ..................................................................................................... 7
4 Integrated Fish Farming:....................................................................................................................................... 8

Aquaculture:

1 Definition:
• Aquaculture or farming in water is the aquatic equivalent of agriculture or farming on land.
• Defined broadly, agriculture includes farming both animals (animal husbandry) and plants
(agronomy, horticulture and forestry in part).
• Similarly, aquaculture covers the farming of both animals (including crustaceans, finfish and
molluscs) and plants (including seaweeds and freshwater macrophytes).
• While agriculture is predominantly based on use of freshwater, aquaculture occurs in both
inland (freshwater) and coastal (brackish water, seawater) areas.
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 • It implies some form of intervention in the rearing process to increase production, such as
regular stocking, feeding and protection against predators.
• This farming also implies individual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated.

FAO (1988) introduced a definition of aquaculture:

• Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and
aquatic plants.
• Farming implies some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production,
such as regular stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc.
• Farming also implies individual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated.
• For statistical purposes, aquatic organisms which are harvested by an individual or corporate
body which has owned them throughout their rearing period contribute to aquaculture,
while aquatic organisms which are exploitable by the public as a common property resources,
with or without appropriate licences, are the harvest of fisheries.

Let us have a look at certain terms that we shall encounter:

Fish Seed:
• Fertilized fish eggs are known as Fish seeds. In simple words, they are the baby fishes used
for seeding new Ponds in fisheries.
• 'Seed' appears to be an industrial/technical term in fish farming used to refer either
collectively to the juvenile life stages of fish (hatchling, spawn, fry and fingerling), or
specifically to fry (the stage after the yolk sac disappears and before scales form).

The Juvenile stages are:

Hatchling
The larvae emerging from the fertilized eggs after hatching is called hatchling. It is characterized by
the presence of yolk sac hanging below from where it draws its nutrition for 2–3 days. At this stage
the mouth is not formed and hence it does not take food from outside.

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Fry:
When the fishes have developed to the point where they are capable of feeding themselves, the fish
are called fry (1-2 cm).

Fingerling:
As soon as the fry grow up to 10–15 cm size or roughly equal the size of a finger it is known as
fingerling. Fingerling is the proper size for stocking in table fish production ponds. It takes about 30–
60 days for the fry to grow up to fingerling size.

Note: Sometimes, we come across a juvenile stage called spawn in some places, it is the
intermediate stage between hatchling and fry.

2 Classification of Aquaculture:

2.1 Based on the degree of intensity:

• Intensive production involves the high-density culture of organisms, and regular and
nutritionally complete feeding;
• Semi-intensive systems involve lower densities, with the enhancement of naturally occurring
feed, and some direct feeding;
• Extensive aquaculture involves a low density of organisms, sometimes with the
enhancement of naturally occurring feed.

2.2 Based on the type of environment within which the cultivation takes place and the
species is cultivated (Eg. Based on Salinity)

• Freshwater: This refers to farming of aquatic animals in zero saline water

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 • Brackish water: Brackish water is a mixture of seawater and freshwater with a salinity less
than 30 ppt (Parts Per Thousand). Examples are: Estuaries, backwaters, creeks and mangrove
waterways.
• Marine: This refers to farming of aquatic animals and plants in sea water.

The main groups of species are:

• finfish, such as sea bass, sea bream, trout and carp;

• crustacea, such as marine shrimp and freshwater crayfish;
• molluscs, such as mussels, oysters and clams, and
• seaweeds.

2.3 On the basis of species stocked for farming:

Monoculture: Only one species is reared in a culture system.

Polyculture:

• Two or more different fish species are farmed.

• Polyculture practices give higher yield than monoculture.

What are the principal requirements of different species for polyculture:

✓ Different feeding habits

✓ Should occupy different columns in a pond system
✓ Should attain marketable size at the same time
✓ Should be non-predatory in behaviour

3 Various Aquaculture Methods and Practices:

• A number of aquaculture practices are used world-wide in three types of environment

(freshwater, brackish water, and marine) for a great variety of culture organisms.
• Freshwater aquaculture is carried out either in fish ponds, fish pens, fish cages or, on a
limited scale, in rice paddies.
• Brackish water aquaculture is done mainly in fish ponds located in coastal areas.
• Marine culture employs either fish cages or substrates for molluscs and seaweeds such as
stakes, ropes, and rafts.

Culture systems range from extensive to intensive depending on the stocking density of the
culture organisms, the level of inputs, and the degree of management. In countries where
government priority is directed toward increased fish production from aquaculture to help meet
domestic demand, either as a result of the lack of access to large waterbodies or the over-
exploitation of marine or inland fisheries, aquaculture practices are almost exclusively oriented
toward production for domestic consumption.

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The following are some of the culture practices: (Basically it is divided on the basis of enclosure
used for culture)

✓ Fish Pond Culture

✓ Pen and Cage Culture
✓ Raceway
✓ Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)

We shall have a look at the important points only:

3.1 Fish Pond Culture:

It is the common method of fish culture. Water is maintained in an enclosed area by artificial
construction of dike/bund.

In relation to the Fish Pond Culture, let us have a look at the summary of comparative features
among the three main culture systems:

3.2 Pen and Cage Culture:

What is it?
• Pen and cage culture involve the rearing of fish within fixed or floating net enclosures
supported by frameworks made of bamboo, wood, or metal, and set in sheltered, shallow
portions of lakes, bays, rivers, and estuaries.
• Both cage and pen culture are types of enclosure culture and involve holding organisms

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 captive within an enclosed space whilst maintaining a free exchange of water.
• The two methods, however, are distinct from one another.
• A cage is totally enclosed on all, or all but the top, sides by mesh or netting, whereas in pen
culture the bottom of the enclosure is formed by the lake or sea bottom.
• Cage culture uses existing water resources (ponds, rivers, estuaries, open ocean, etc.) but
confines the fish inside some type of mesh enclosure.
• The mesh retains the fish, making it easier to feed, observe and harvest them.
• The mesh also allows the water to pass freely between the fish and surrounding water
resource, thus maintaining good water quality and removing wastes.

Cage Culture:

Rearing of fish from juvenile stage to commercial size in a volume of water enclosed on all sides (In
some cases, the top maybe open).

Advantages of Cage Culture:

✓ Effective use of existing waterbodies

✓ Technical simple
✓ Lower capital cost
✓ Easier stock management and monitoring

Disadvantages of Cage Culture:

✓ Vulnerable to external water quality problems eg. Algal blooms, low oxygen
✓ Stock is more vulnerable to predators such as birds
✓ Growth rates are significantly influenced by ambient water parameters

Pen Culture:

Pen culture is defined as raising of fish in a volume of water enclosed on all sides except bottom.

This system can be considered a hybrid between pond culture and cage culture.

Advantages:

✓ Intensive utilization of available space

✓ Suitability for culturing many varied species
✓ Ease of harvest
✓ The flexibility of size and economy
✓ Availability of natural food and exchange of materials with the bottom

Disadvantages:

✓ High demand for oxygen and water flow

✓ Pollution
✓ Rapid spread of diseases

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 ✓ Risk of theft
✓ Conflict with multiple use of natural waters

3.3 Raceway:
Raceway culture is defined as raising of fish in running water. Raceways are designed to provide a
flow-through system to enable rearing of much denser population of fishes.

Types:

Linear Type:

Ponds arranged in sequence the volume of water entering each pond is larger and as the same
water is used repeatedly from pond to pond, occurrence of disease in initial ponds may directly
affect the other connected ponds.

Lateral Type:

Ponds laid out in parallel in this type the volume of water entering each pond is smaller but a fresh
supply of water is always ensured, and no transfer of disease from one pond to another.

3.4 Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS):

A Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) can be defined as an aquaculture system that
incorporates the treatment and reuse of water with less than 10% of total water volume replaced
per day.

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We shall have a look at Integrated Fish Farming which can also be called a type of aquaculture:

4 Integrated Fish Farming:

• The principle of integrated fish farming involves farming of fish along with livestock or/and
agricultural crops.
• This type of farming offers great efficiency in resource utilization, as waste or byproduct
from one system is effectively recycled.
• It also enables effective utilization of available farming space for maximizing production.
• The rising cost of protein-rich fish food and chemical fertilizers as well as the general concern
for energy conservation have created awareness in the utilization of rice and other crop
fields and livestock wastes for fish culture.
• Fish culture in combination with agriculture or livestock is a unique and lucrative venture
and provides a higher farm income, makes available a cheap source of protein for the rural
population, increases productivity on small land-holdings and increases the supply of feeds
for the farm livestock.
• The scope of integrated farming is considerably wide.
• Ducks and geese are raised in pond, and pond-dykes are used for horticultural and
agricultural crop products and animal rearing.

• The system provides meat, milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables, mushroom, fodder and grains, in
addition to fish.
• Hence this system provides better production, provides more employment, and improves
socio-economic status of farmers and betterment of rural economy.

Integrated fish farming can be broadly classified into two, namely: Agriculture-fish and Livestock-
fish systems.

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 • Agri-based systems include rice-fish integration, horticulture-fish system, mushroom-fish
system, seri-fish system.
• Livestock-fish system includes cattle-fish system, pig-fish system, poultry-fish system, duck-
fish system, goat-fish system, rabbit-fish system.

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